IATA says the Copenhagen Agreement is a Step in Right Direction
20.12.2009 (IATA press release)
Copenhagen - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomed the Copenhagen Accord as an important step in the right direction for climate change. Aviation emissions were not addressed specifically in the Accord, a reflection of the pro-active measures the industry has taken to set challenging targets for itself, together with an aggressive strategy to achieve them. The industry will continue to work towards achieving these global targets, which were recognized by the member states of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) at its High Level Meeting on Environment in October 2009 and which were commended by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at a meeting with Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO, in New York later that month. IATA will continue to work with ICAO to develop a global framework for managing aviations emissions.
“We came to Copenhagen to be part of the deal and we were encouraged by the level of support for the industry’s global sectoral approach and targets. We will continue to press states to include these global targets in any future deal,” said Bisignani. “Airlines, airports, air navigation service providers and manufacturers are reinforced in their commitment (1) to improve fuel efficiency by an average of 1.5% per year to 2020, (2) to stabilize carbon emissions from 2020 with carbon-neutral growth, and (3) to a net reduction in carbon emissions of 50% by 2050 compared to 2005,” he added.
Bisignani said, “We also found consensus among the delegations that a global sectoral approach should be established for aviation emissions by ICAO, the UN’s specialized agency for aviation. We will work closely with ICAO to prepare a global framework for managing aviation’s emissions for the ICAO Assembly to consider in September 2010. And we will urge governments to ensure this framework is presented to COP16 in December 2010. In the meantime we continue to urge governments to avoid creating a patchwork of national and regional solutions and to ensure aviation’s emissions are dealt with as a sector and across the world. A global sectoral approach supported by tough targets is the only sensible way forward for a global industry.”
A Global Sectoral Approach, under ICAO, to manage aviation’s emissions will ensure a level playing field. The approach consists of three main elements:
- Full accounting for aviation’s emissions as a global industrial sector, not by state.
- Global coordination of economic measures to ensure that aviation will not pay more than once for its emissions
- Full access to global carbon markets
The aviation industry is already working towards its climate change goals through its four pillar strategy. The strategy focuses on investing in new technology, flying smarter, building efficient infrastructure, and taking advantage of positive economic measures.
Notes for Editors:
- IATA is the global association for the airline industry. IATA’s 230 member airlines comprise 93% of scheduled international traffic.
- The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is the specialized UN agency
for international civil aviation.
Anthony Concil
Director Corporate Communications
+ 41 22 770 2967
Email: corpcomms@iata.org
Airlines pledge to halve carbon emissions by 2050(?!)
Ahead of the climate change summit in Copenhagen this December, the aviation industry has tried to seize the initiative by making a ‘pledge’ to reduce emissions.
The British Airways chief executive, Willie Walsh, has told a UN climate meeting in New York that airports and aircraft companies will cut emissions to 50% below 2005 levels by 2050. Forecasts for emissions growth from the sector have previously suggested that emissions could rise up to fourfold if not appropriately controlled.
In the UK, there has been a lot of publicity surrouding the announcement, made by Walsh on behalf of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). AEF director Tim Johnson was interviewed for BBC business news, while AEF board member Jeff Gazzard gave two radio interviews and had a letter printed in the Guardian.
IATA’s proposals, which have yet to be approved by the UN, are are as follows. We give AEF comments on each.
* To reduce net carbon dioxide emissions by 50% by 2050, compared with 2005 levels.
This is far less than the target for other sectors, given international agreement to achieve global cuts of 50% on 1990 levels (not 2005), with G8 countries agreeing to 80% cuts. It means that other sectors will have to make reductions even greater than 80% to make up for aviation.
Net ‘cuts’ would in any case allow ‘emissions trading’ and ‘offsets’. This means that the industry need NOT actually cut its emissions by 50%, if it can buy offsets or carbon credits by negotiating with other sectors.
* To make all industry growth carbon-neutral by 2020.
A commitment to stabilise emissions by 2020 would allow emissions to continue growing until then! BBC business editor Robert Peston has wryly observed “The industry does not expect to stabilise emissions until 2020. Which most psychologists would say is too far away to serve as much of a deadline.” After 2020 emissions would have to be even more drastically cut to meet the aspirational target for 2050.
* To achieve a 1.5% average annual improvement in fuel efficiency to 2020.
A 1-2% improvement in fuel efficiency (a 1-2% reduction in CO2 per passenger
km) is what airlines have historically achieved regardless of any environmental
targets, this being acheived through technoloical improvements in new aircraft.
But as traffic has been growing at around 4-5% per year, total emissions have been
increasing rapidly. A 1-5% fuel efficiency target would simply reflect the trend.
* To submit plans for joining a global carbon trading scheme to the UN by November 2010.
(21st December 2009)
Copyright AirportWatch, 2004