The world’s leading airlines urge governments to establish an all-inclusive greenhouse gas regulation system for the aviation industry.
The 240 members of the International Air Transport Association, which accounts for 84 percent of global air traffic, have endorsed a resolution that seeks for a single global market-based measure that would mandate airlines to offset the growth in their emissions after 2020.
Touted as a “historic agreement on carbon-neutral growth,” the resolution was passed during I.A.T.A.’s 69th Annual General Meeting on Monday.
“Airlines are committed to working with governments to build a solid platform for the future sustainable development of aviation,” said Tony Tyler, I.A.T.A.’s Director General and chief executive officer.
 |
  |
“Today, they have come together to recommend to governments the adoption of a single M.B.M. for aviation and provide suggestions on how it might be applied to individual carriers. Now the ball is in the court of governments. We will be strongly supporting their leadership as they seek a global agreement through the International Civil Aviation Organization at its Assembly later this year,” he added.
In the resolution, the airlines organization proposed to set industry and individual carrier baselines using the average annual emissions over the period 2018 to 2020. It also recommended the adoption of an equitable balance for identifying individual carrier responsibilities that includes information on its share of total industry emissions and growth above baseline emissions.
Currently, the aviation industry contributes 2 percent to global man-made carbon emissions, and while this is a small number, I.A.T.A. said aviation plays a key role in promoting sustainable development.
Aviation is the first industry to agree on global targets, including a 1.5 percent annual fuel efficiency improvement through 2020 and 50 percent emissions reduction by 2050 below 2005 levels, and set up a global strategy to achieve these targets.
Now, it has also become the first to suggest a global approach to the application of a common market-based measure to address its carbon footprint.
“A single M.B.M. will be critical in the short-term as a gap-filler until technology, operations and infrastructure solutions mature. So we cannot take our eye off the ball on developing sustainable low-carbon alternative fuels, achieving the Single European Sky or the host of other programs that will improve aviation’s environmental performance,” noted Mr. Tyler.
In the upcoming the 38th I.C.A.O. Assembly in September, environment is expected to be the top agenda, by which the aviation industry calls on the government to develop a global approach to managing aviation’s carbon emissions, including a single global M.B.M. – EcoSeed Staff
