Page 91 - World Airnews Magazine January 2020 Edition

IATA

PASSENGER CARBON EMISSIONS

DECREASE MORE THAN 50%

The introduction of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA)
will ensure carbon-neutral growth on international flights from 2020.Photo by Chris Leipelt

trillion in new aircraft since 2009, and in have been made in recent months to levy
addition have signed forward purchase air passenger taxes, including in France,
The International Air Transport agreements for sustainable aviation fuel Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
Association (IATA) published information (SAF) amounting to approximately (US) $6 "Taxation aimed at stopping people
confirming that carbon emissions per billion. from exercising their freedom to fly will
passenger have declined by more than In addition, the introduction of the make travel more expensive but do very
50% since 1990. Much of the improvement Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme little to reduce emissions. It is a politician's
has occurred because the industry for International Aviation (CORSIA) will feel-good solution, without taking
responsibility for the negative impact it has
has achieved an annual fuel efficiency ensure carbon-neutral growth on interna- on the economy or the mobility restrictions
improvement of 2.3% over the period since tional flights from 2020 and raise around it imposes on people with lower incomes,"
2009, some 0.8 percentage points ahead (US) $40 billion in climate finance. said de Juniac.
of target. Long-term, aviation is aiming to reduce
This progress is a combination of ALTERNATIVE MEASURES ARE emissions with cleaner technology. This
investments in more efficient aircraft and INEFFICIENT AND FAIL TO CUT will require a financially sound airline
operational efficiencies. CARBON sector capable of funding the significant
"Cutting per passenger emissions in half Analysis from IATA shows that efforts to investments that will be needed to make
is an amazing achievement of the technical deliberately suppress air travel through flying sustainable.
expertise and innovation in the aviation in- punitive passenger taxes are inefficient and "Governments must focus their efforts
dustry. But we have even bigger ambitions. largely ineffective at reducing carbon. correctly. Flying drives prosperity. It is not
From 2020 we will cap net emissions. And The CORSIA scheme's effectiveness lies the enemy. Cutting carbon must at the
by 2050 we will cut emissions to half 2005 in its global scope. It is estimated it will forefront. And government leadership is
levels. Accomplishing these targets means reduce emissions by around 2.5 billion needed to incentivise the commerciali-
continued investment in new technology, tonnes over the lifetime of the scheme. sation of sustainable aviation fuels, drive
sustainable fuels and operational improve- But global goodwill towards implementing efficiencies in air traffic management and
ments," said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA CORSIA is being compromised by govern- support research into next generation
director general and CEO. ments introducing a patchwork of carbon low-carbon energy sources," said de Juniac.
Airlines have invested some (US) $1 taxes. A series of decisions or proposals Q

World Airnews | January Extra 2020
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