The International Air Transport Association Airlines has pledged to support a potential emissions-trading plan under the International Civil Aviation Organization, an agency of the United Nations, above the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). Tony Tyler, head of IATA said at the Greener Skies Conference in Hong Kong that the EU plan is “misguided” and could add about $1.2 billion to industry costs next year, versus the $4.9 billion the sector is expected the earn.
“Aviation cannot afford expensive regional mistakes,” he said. Adding that airlines have developed, and the ICAO has endorsed, a strategy to reduce pollution through technology investments, more efficient infrastructure, more efficient operations, and “positive economic measures,” which could include a global emission-trading strategy or some other sort of economic incentive to reduce pollution.
“Reducing carbon emissions means saving fuel,” Tyler said. “Next year we foresee industry fuel expense rising to more than $200 billion, which will be 32% of our costs. Fuel savings, which go hand in hand with emissions savings, are business critical.”