Airlines Take a United Stand on Climate Change

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) yesterday announced a global plan to cut carbon emissions by 50 per cent from 2005 levels by 2050, with improvements in carbon efficiency by an average of 1.5 per cent per year up to 2020 and stabilizing net emissions from 2020. This move comes ahead of the December climate change summit in Copenhagen, where world leaders will forge a new accord to limit greenhouse gas emissions. The plan has drawn mixed responses from environmentalists and business analysts, with some criticizing it as not going far enough, while others see it as a crucial step towards reducing emissions.

Key Takeaways:

• The IATA plan aims to cut net carbon emissions by 50 per cent from 2005 levels by 2050, with 230 airlines representing 93 per cent of scheduled international air traffic committing to the target.
• The airlines plan to achieve the proposed cuts through technological improvements, such as lighter and more fuel-efficient aircraft or biofuels, and by using emission trading schemes to buy carbon credits.
• The plan has drawn mixed responses from environmentalists, with some praising it as a step towards reducing emissions and others criticizing it as not going far enough.
• The government and industries are pushing for a sectoral approach to climate change, where companies are regulated within a single system, rather than by nation.
• Industry leaders warn that a sectoral approach would be complex and challenging, requiring a universal benchmark for measuring emissions.
• Environmental campaigners are calling for a levy on bunker fuels that would affect the shipping industry, which could raise £12 billion a year and be directed to developing countries to help them adapt to climate change.

Statistics:

• Airlines account for only about 2-3 per cent of greenhouse gases.
• The proposed emissions cuts by the airlines will be achieved partly by technological improvements, such as lighter and more fuel-efficient aircraft or biofuels.
• The climate change plan by airlines ties into a broader effort to divide the world's industry by sector - rather than by nation - when it comes to climate change.
• If the industry were not to produce its own targets, it could have harsher measures imposed on it.
• Global carbon emissions have been rising sharply in coming years, and a sectoral approach to climate change is seen as a crucial step towards reducing emissions.

Sources:

• International Air Transport Association (IATA)
• The Financial Times
• Reuters
• Greenpeace
• UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)