Airlines pledge carbon-neutral growth by 2020

       The aviation industry has a good track record in the battle against climate change, but it has been poor at telling the story to a wider audience, thus subjecting itself to constant criticism.
       In fact, the industry has shown that it is perhaps more committed and proactive than other economic sectors in reducing carbon emissions on a global scale.
       The adoption of carbon-neutral growth by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on June 7 in Kuala Lumpur highlighted the industry's eagerness to curb emissions, executives say.
       The industry established a comprehensive and ambitious framework to lower its 2% share of global manmade CO
       2emissions. The landmark agreement aims for aviation's net CO
       2 emissions to stop growing by 2020,even as demand for air transport continues to grow.
       The carbon-neutral growth pledge encompasses a set of three sequential goals for air transport: a 1.5% average annual improvement in fuel efficiency from 2009 to 2020; carbon-neutral growth from 2020; and a 50% absolute reduction in carbon emissions by 2050.
       Airlines are the first industry to make such a bold commitment at the global level, setting an example for other sectors such as power generation and land transport.
       An October 2006 report by Sir Nicholas Stern stated that the largest contributor to human-induced CO
       2is power generation (24%), mostly coaland gas-fired plants.
       Next is land use change at 18%,then agriculture, industry and transport at 14% each (aviation is part of trans-port). Buildings (8%), other energyrelated activities (5%) and waste (3%)make up the rest.
       But IATA pointed out that the airline industry cannot achieve this ambitious target alone and needs a concerted global effort to eventually reach a zeroemission future.
       Crucial to the ambitious goal is a four-pillar strategy set out by IATA that includes improved technology,effective operations, efficient infrastructure and positive economic measures.
       The airlines' commitment needs to be matched by governments, the association added. The International Civil Aviation Organisation, the UN's aviation agency, must set binding carbon emission standards on manufacturers of new aircraft. A legal and fiscal framework to support the availability of sustainable biofuels must be established.And governments must work with air navigation service providers to push forward major infrastructure projects such as a Single European Sky, NextGen in the US or fixing the Pearl River Delta in China.
       The industry set a target of increasing biofuel use to 10% of all consumption by 2017. Biofuels, according to IATA,have the potential to reduce the industry's footprint by up to 80%.
       Biofuels currently being tested are drop-in fuels that can be used in current engines and can be mixed with traditional jet fuel. If certification occurs in 2010 or 2011 and production is ramped up, this ambitious target can be realised.
       The introduction of new fuelefficient aircraft such as the Airbus A380 megajet and Boeing 787"Dreamliner" can make airlines 20-25% more fuel-efficient.