Thirteen Air Transport Organizations Sign Declaration on Climate Change

Thirteen air transport industry organizations, including Boeing, Airbus and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) signed a commitment to tackle climate change at the 3rd Aviation and Environment Summit in Geneva, Switzerland this week.

To this end, in line with the four-pillar strategy unanimously endorsed at the 2007 ICAO Assembly, the organizations said they will:

• push forward the development and implementation of new technologies, including cleaner fuels;

• further optimize the fuel efficiency of their fleet and the way they fly aircraft and manage ground operations;

• improve air routes, air traffic management and airport infrastructure; and

• implement positive economic instruments to achieve greenhouse gas reductions wherever they are cost-effective.

They then urged all governments to participate in these efforts by:

• supporting and co-financing appropriate research and development in the pursuit of greener technological breakthroughs;

• taking urgent measures to improve airspace design including civil/military allocation, air traffic management infrastructure and procedures for approving needed airport development; and

• developing and implementing a global, equitable and stable emissions management framework for aviation through ICAO, in line with the United Nations roadmap agreed in Bali in December 2007.

Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's director general and CEO said "[Governments] must invest more effectively in environmental technologies - from alternative fuels to radical dynamics. And they need to match our efforts at efficiency - such as implementing next generation traffic management systems globally. A Single European Sky could save 12 million tonnes of CO₂ at a stroke."

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