The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called on the UN Summit on Climate Change to support a “sectoral” approach to reducing aviation emissions under the leadership of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).  IATA, which represents some 230 airlines responsible for more than 90% of scheduled international air traffic, outlined the industry’s commitment to three sequential targets:

• Improving CO₂ efficiency by an average of 1.5% per year through 2020;
• Stabilizing net CO₂ emissions from 2020 onward; and
• Achieving a “long-term aspirational goal” of a 50% cut in CO₂ emissions by 2050 compared to 2005.

The aviation industry is currently responsible for approximately 3% of the man-made global climate change impact.

IATA and other aviation trade groups have emphasized the need for a sectoral approach.  Rather than regulating specific airlines or countries, the proposed sectoral approach would regulate the industry as a whole, thereby promoting effective cross-border regulation and level competition.  IATA’s Director General warned that “uncoordinated national and regional schemes are creating a patchwork of punitive taxes that fill government coffers, but do little or nothing to effectively manage aviation’s emissions.”  While IATA has enumerated certain guiding principles for the sectoral approach, including open access to carbon markets, the specific policy proposals will be developed in coordination with ICAO for potential inclusion in a post-Kyoto climate framework.  Aviation industry members will gather next in Montreal to formalize a proposal to take to the climate talks in Copenhagen.

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