IATA Director takes on climate change, says aviation is the key to real results

In remarks released today by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General and CEO Giovanni Bisignani to the Second Ministerial Conference on Global Environment and Energy in Transport (MEET2), Bisignani urged attending governments to recognize and support the commitments of IATA and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in driving aviation’s responsible approach to climate change.

In his comments, the Director asserted that air travel plays a key role in climate change and that, if addressed properly in both private and government sectors, it can potentially have the most dramatic effect against it.

“Aviation is at the forefront of industries taking a responsible approach on climate change,” said Bisignani. “In 2009, aviation emitted 625 million tons of carbon—equal to 2% of manmade CO2. We are working together to reduce that with the cooperation of governments.”

Under IATA, Airlines, airports, air navigation service providers and manufacturers are committed to work together to deliver on three tough targets:

• Improving fuel efficiency by an average of 1.5% annually to 2020
• Capping net emissions from 2020 with carbon-neutral growth, and
• Cutting net emissions in half by 2050 compared to 2005 levels.

Bisignani also congratulated governments on their historic agreement at ICAO.

“At last month’s ICAO Assembly 190 governments agreed to work with industry to improve fuel efficiency by 2% annually, cap emissions from 2020 and develop a global framework for economic measures. This is the first and only agreement by governments to manage the emissions of an industrial sector. Governments must now take a stake in delivering emissions reductions. This means working with industry to provide the tools, including air traffic management reform, to achieve their goals.”

According to Bisignani, IATA will work with governments worldwide to address four key challanges:

• Support the industry’s targets with improvements in air traffic management and the legal and fiscal development of sustainable biofuels
• Focus on developing a global framework for economic measures and reject ineffective regional schemes
• Take advantage of aviation’s role as an economic catalyst rather than using the industry as a cash cow source of funding
• Promote aviation’s achievements as a role model for others to follow

“This was a unique opportunity for the air transport industry to remind governments of the industry’s proactive approach to reducing its emissions, just one month after the ICAO Assembly and one month before the United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change meets in Cancun,” added Bisignani.