"The environmental track record of the industry is good. Over the last four decades we have reduced noise by 75 per cent, eliminated soot and improved fuel efficiency by 70 per cent. The billions being invested in new aircraft will make our fleet 25-per-cent more fuel-efficient by 2020. This will limit the growth of our carbon footprint significantly," said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA director-general and CEO.

He said a growing carbon footprint was no longer politically acceptable for any industry. "Climate change will limit our future unless we change our approach from technical to strategic. Air transport must aim to become an industry that does not pollute, with zero emissions."

The four challenges are air-traffic management, technology, a global approach and green businesses.

For air-traffic management, governments and air-navigation service providers must eliminate the 12-per-cent inefficiency in global air-traffic management.

"Cut air-traffic inefficiency in half by 2012 and we immediately save 35 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. Three mega-projects could deliver real results. Single Sky for Europe, an efficient Pearl River Delta in China and a next-generation air-traffic system in the US," said Bisignani.

He added that governments were dragging their feet. The Single European Sky could deliver a 12-million-tonne reduction in carbon dioxide, but it has been a 15-year European circus of talks, talks and more talks — with no results. This is inconsistent and irresponsible," said Bisignani.

For technology, the aerospace industry must build a zero-emission aircraft in the next 50 years.

"I challenge the US, Europe, Canada, China, Brazil, Russia and Japan to coordinate basic research on a zero-emission aircraft and then compete to develop products based on this research. Clean fuel is also critical. Governments have cut alternative fuel funding while oil companies are busy counting the US$15 billion [Bt520 billion] in increased refinery margins that the airline industry is now paying. The first target is to replace 10 per cent of fuel with low-carbon alternatives in the next 10 years. The second is to begin developing a carbon-free fuel from renewable energy sources. It's time for governments and the oil industry to make some serious investments," said Bisignani.

As climate change is a global issue, it requires a global solution. The challenge is for the International Civil Aviation Organisation and its 190 member states to deliver a global emissions-trading scheme that is fair, effective and available for all governments to use on a voluntary basis.

The final challenge is for airlines to implement green strategies across the industry. IATA is developing IATA Project Green to help airlines implement global best-practice environmental management systems.

Bisignani said the work would not be completed overnight. We can already see the potential building blocks for a carbon-free future: fuel-cell technology, solar-powered aircraft and fuel made from biomass. By working together with a common vision, a green industry is absolutely achievable, he said.

But Bisignani cautioned that governments were too easily side-tracked. "Politicians think green and see cash," he said.

Suchat Sritama

The Nation