A global framework for aviation and climate change
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) reiterated its call for a global sectoral approach led by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to handle aviation’s emissions in the post-Kyoto period.
“We need a global solution that can encompass all of aviation – incorporating the differing situations of airlines from developed and developing nations. The best hope of this is through ICAO which has a proven track record,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.
In a speech to an event jointly hosted by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and IATA, Bisignani referred specifically to the effective work of ICAO in handling the introduction of quieter aircraft. “ICAO developed a global framework to deal with noise. The noisiest aircraft were phased out between 1995 and 2002. The global solution took into account the difficult situation of some developing nations with an extension to 2005,” said Bisignani.
The remarks are particularly timely as the global climate change debate is increasingly stalled on the principle of common but differentiated responsibility that underpins the United Nation’s Framework Convention on Climate Change in the run-up to climate talks in Copenhagen this December.
At the recent ICAO High Level Meeting on Aviation and Climate Change, governments agreed to continue to address aviation, airlines and climate change through ICAO and to work closely with industry. They also laid the foundations to developing a global sectoral approach – a global framework developed through ICAO.
IATA defines such a sectoral approach as:
- Accounting for emissions at a global level, not by state
- Making aviation fully accountable and pay for its emissions once, not several times over
- Giving access to global carbon markets until technology provides the ultimate solution
“Such a global approach would take advantage of the aviation sector’s proactive approach to addressing the issues of climate change. We are the only industry with a united strategy and targets across the whole value chain. These are tougher targets than even our regulators are prepared to administer,” said Bisignani.
Aviation has committed to three sequential targets:
- Improving average annual fuel efficiency by 1.5% to 2020
- Stabilizing emissions with carbon-neutral growth from 2020
- An aspirational goal to cut net emissions in half by 2050, compared to 2005
Africa, Airlines, Asia, Australia, New Zealand etc., Europe, North America, Other, South and Central America
Climate Change made the typhoons in the south pacific very destructive. Typhoon Ketsana made a lot of mess in Philippines and Vietnam *