BIZCHINA> Review & Analysis
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BIZCHINA> Review & Analysis
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Aviation industry can be a model for Copenhagen climate talks
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-11-23 08:01
The global political agenda is now focused firmly on COP-15, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December in Copenhagen, Denmark. Two things are already clear. China will play a leading role at the upcoming talks in Copenhagen. And working alone, governments will not be able to achieve what is needed to save the planet. Meaningful solutions must have the support of China and include a role for industry. Aviation is a microcosm of the climate change debate and could point the way to much-needed solutions. As a global industry of airlines, airports, air traffic management organizations and aircraft manufacturers, aviation is bringing serious targets to Copenhagen.
We will improve fuel efficiency on average by 1.5 percent per year until 2020. From 2020, we will stabilize emissions with carbon-neutral growth. And by 2050, we aspire to cut emissions in half, compared to 2005 levels. Aviation is the only global industrial sector to agree to such ambitious plans. Our confidence comes from our track record and from technologies in development. In the last five years, operational solutions driven by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) saved 70 million tons of carbon dioxide, or CO2. Last year, aviation's carbon output was 666 million tons of CO2. This year, that will shrink by 7 percent -- 5 percent from the recession and 2 percent from our efforts. Sustainable biofuels could reduce our carbon footprint by up to 80 percent. Tests proved that they are safe. Certification is around the corner. Now governments must commit to the legal and fiscal frameworks to foster commercialization. To get the most from the potential of sustainable biofuels and manage aviation's environmental responsibility, aviation must be treated as a sector. It is the most efficient way to manage the process. Power plants and factories fit into national targets because they pollute from a single location. Airlines emit carbon across borders and over the high seas. We are a unique polluter. We are a global industry in need of a global solution. A sector approach will also deliver the best results. Aviation is the safest mode of transport because of global standards that are adhered to and implemented by states through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and airlines through IATA. Such an approach is particularly important for economic measures. Technology and operations will get us close to our targets. Punitive taxes will rob the industry of the ability to invest in the technology needed. But economic measures such as offsetting emissions or emissions trading will be needed to cover the gaps. There are three critical elements for economic measures to create successful incentives for airlines to reduce emissions.
Aviation's emissions targets are shared by airlines from all corners of the world. The precedent for a borderless climate change solution for aviation was set by how we dealt with noise. Today aviation is 70 percent quieter than four decades ago. Under ICAO's watch and with the cooperation of industry, the noisiest airplanes were phased out over a seven-year period with special consideration given to developing states. The most difficult challenge for Copenhagen will be accommodating the diverse needs of developed and developing nations. Governments should look closely at aviation. Working together, through ICAO and with a global sector approach, we could be the model that breaks the deadlock. Giovanni Bisignani is director-general and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The views expressed here are his own. (For more biz stories, please visit Industries)
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