14 DAY TRIAL // Taking their commitment on reducing their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions further, as previously stated, seven of the largest airlines in the world, including Air France/KLM and British Airways, have requested that the United Nations set the CO2 targets for the aviation industry soon. Together with the international NGO The Climate Group, they asked on Tuesday for policymakers to establish the basic guidelines that they needed to follow by the end of this year, when the UN summit on global warming and climate change is scheduled to take place in Copenhagen.
With airplanes already responsible for two percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions, climate change experts warn that the pollution emitted by this industry could increase significantly, as more and more airplanes are needed to meet the global flight demand, Reuters informs. In addition to environmental groups and separate governments, the European Union is also pressing hard on the industry to change its ways, and create products that consume less fuel, or fly for longer on the same charge. The EU is also currently engaged in reshaping its flight paths, so as to minimize useless detours around some of its borders.
Airlines realized this year that opposing the measures was futile, and so they decided to work with policymakers, rather than against them. If they had refused to participate in any talks, then any deal that was to be made would have been imposed onto them by national authorities. Their proposal, which holds that airlines need to reduce their emission levels by 20 percent until 2020, in reference to 2005 levels, will be presented this week at the climate change conference, held in Bonn, Germany.
The new proposal also states that the companies, which are all part of the Aviation Global Deal Group, would sell a part of their allowed amount of pollution in auctions, and the funds would be used to further boost their ability to adapt to change. “Based on the scenarios assessed, auction revenues of up to $5 billion per annum could be generated to support activities such as climate adaptation programs and initiatives to combat tropical deforestation,” a statement issued by the group reads.
It goes on to say that, “The AGD Group believes that negotiators should set a target for the international aviation sector as part of a broader global climate agreement that would cover all international flights.” They also want to have their emitted CO2 levels assessed based on the amount of fuel they buy, rather than the actual emissions coming out of the planes, and to be part of a global scheme, rather than of a “patchwork” of regional ones. The group also includes Cathay Pacific, Virgin Atlantic, Finnair, Qatar Airways, Virgin Blue Airlines, and airport operator BAA.