Aviation industry commits to emissions target

But sticks to its guns in row with EU over proposed inclusion in emissions trading scheme

The aviation industry has given its clearest signal yet that it is dedicated to reducing carbon emissions, committing to stabilise emissions and support attempts to develop a global emissions reduction framework.

In a declaration signed by over 100 trade groups, airlines, airport and air traffic control operators at the Aviation & Environment Summit in Geneva this week, the industry committed to deliver " carbon neutral growth".

"The aviation industry is growing at five to six per cent and emissions are growing by about half that, at around three per cent a year," explained Quentin Browell, spokesman for the International Air Transport Association (IATA). "But a growing carbon footprint is unacceptable for any industry so we're looking to get that growth down to zero per cent."

The declaration commits the signatories, including Boeing, Airbus, Virgin Atlantic and BAA, to work towards stabilising emissions through the development of new technologies, improvements in fuel efficiency, enhancements to air traffic control and airport systems and the implementations of "positive economic instruments".

Browell said that the industry had not set a timeline for achieving the target, but insisted the sector was fully committed to curbing emissions. " Aviation had a $159bn fuel bill last year and that is the biggest incentive any of us could have to improve fuel efficient," he said. "We've delivered a 70 per cent improvement in efficiency in the last 40 years and are fully committed to continuing that improvement."

The declaration also repeats IATA's "aspirational goal" of delivering zero carbon flight and urges governments to invest more in aviation R&D. It also requests that they step up efforts to deliver a "stable emissions management framework for aviation" as part of any Post-Kyoto agreement.

Browell said that the declaration meant that the industry would support a cap-and-trade scheme but only if it is global in reach, adding that the declaration did not mean the sector would relax its opposition to EU plans to include aviation in its emissions trading scheme from 2011.

"We've never been against emissions trading as long as it is done in the right way," he said. "The problem is the EU has jumped the gun and gone with a regional scheme which will only lead to legal argument, trade wars and flights being diverted to hubs outside of the region."