Airlines push for global approach to sustainability

GREEN        AVIATION        IATA

Global - Adopting a global sectoral approach would mean that airlines pay for their climate costs just once and not several times, says IATA director-general and CEO Giovanni Bisignani.

Bisignani pushed for governments to incorporate aviation's industry targets as part of their solution at the Greener Skies Conference in Hong Kong recently.

According to Bisignani, airlines could be a role model in the drive toward climate change, if there was a global sectoral approach to reducing aviation emissions.

"Aviation is unique among industries. When it comes to environment, no other global industry is as united, ambitious or determined," Bisignani said. "Our message to governments at International Civil Aviation Organisations (ICAO) is simple. We need a global sectoral approach to reducing aviation emissions.

"Government should incorporate our industry targets as part of their solutions," he continued. "Working together with ICAO, aviation will be a role model for industry cooperation with the UN in driving important change."

An industry-wide commitment on climate change was formalised in a common industry working paper representing airlines, airports, air navigation service providers and manufacturers. It will be presented by the industry to the ICAO at it High Level Meeting on International Aviation and Climate Change, starting tomorrow in Montreal.

The paper includes several tough targets including improving fuel efficiency 1.5% on average per year through 2020, stabilising emissions with carbon-neutral growth from 2020 and reducing emissions 50% by 2050, compared to 2005.

Bisignani urged governments to include these targets into their own and on a global level and as an industrial sector, rather than within national targets. "This would ensure that airlines pay for their climate cost just once, not several times over, and it would drive emissions reductions with global standards on a level playing field. ICAO would monitor progress with the help of IATA and the industry."

The IATA chief also noted that government commitment is critical for aviation to meet its targets. This means rejecting uncoordinated and opportunistic taxation. "Governments must share the industry's vision for an even more efficient air transport sector and back it up with investments in better infrastructure, especially air traffic management projects like the US NextGen investment. And they must facilitate the rapid advance of sustainable biofuels from testing to commercial availability with appropriate fiscal and legal frameworks."

________________________________________________________

Managing people? For HR and leadership strategy, Human Resources has it covered.

Get your marketing department up to speed with Asia's most read marketing site
marketing-interactive.com