At an aviation and environment conference in Geneva, the industry representatives “underscored the absolute necessity of a global sectoral approach” to emissions. In a statement, they also urged the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) — the United Nations aviation agency — to renew efforts urgently to shape such an approach.
The statement called on governments to aim to have a deal ready for the UN climate conference in Copenhagen in December, aimed at producing an overall post-2012 climate-change treaty.
The industry chiefs — representing airlines, plane and engine manufacturers, air traffic control organisations and airports — said they were fully committed to the fight against global warming, which is blamed largely on manmade greenhouse-gas emissions. But they voiced strong opposition to a European Union scheme under which airlines will have caps on their emissions and have to buy credits if they exceed them. That plan, the executives said, would be unworkable and would meet strong international resistance.
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