IATA sign up to environmental targets

THE International Air Transport Association (IATA) has signed a historic commitment to tackle climate change. IATA director general and chief executive officer Giovanni Bisignani was joined by the industry’s other top leaders in a signing ceremony at the 3rd Aviation and Environment Summit in Geneva, Switzerland.

“This declaration is a great step,” said Bisignani. “IATA’s four-pillar strategy on climate change is now an industry commitment. This commitment will drive us forward – first to our 25 per cent fuel efficiency improvement target and more importantly, towards our vision of carbon neutral growth leading to a carbon emission free industry.

“Environmental responsibility is a core promise of the aviation industry, alongside safety and security. We have taken this responsibility seriously long before Kyoto with impressive results – a 70 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency over the last four decades. All the industry partners have a common goal – to keep aviation as a benchmark of environmental responsibility for others to follow. Today’s commitment is unique. What other industry is so united in its approach to environment?

“But governments must play their part if we are truly to succeed. They 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,” said Bisignani.