IATA is working hard to lobby for its case at the crucial Copenhagen climate Summit. The member airlines will exert pressure on their respective Ministries of Environment to push for their case at the December Global summit, a top official of the international air transport association said. Talking to The Peninsula on the sidelines of the concluding day of Doha Aviation Summit here yesterday, Quentin Browell (pictured), Assistant Director Communications Aviation Environment, IATA, said the association is working on different levels to push its case at the crucial Climate summit. “First, through our nominees, we will send strong messages against the tough emission reduction targets imposed on the aviation industry. We are also talking to the international organizations”, Browell s aid. IATA would also take up the case with the governments, policy makers and talk to the delegates. International diplomacy would also be used to press our case, he added “Our vision is a carbon neutral-growth from 2020 and towards a zero carbon emission future. We know that that emission rate is growing. With the traffic growth is an estimated 5 per cent per annum the emission rate is expected to go up to three percent from the current two percent annually”, he said The aviation industry is expected to improve the fuel improvement efficiency 1.5 percent per annum. But we have improved it at a rate of 1.8 percent. However, the target set on us to reduce the emission rate by 50 percent by 2050 is unrealistic, he said. Browell said the sectoral approach is the ideal way to address the emission reduction problems of the aviation industry. “Aviation emission cannot easily be attributed to individual States. The emission problems should be addressed through a combination of technology, biofuel and economic measures”, he said. IATA is strategically investing in new technology and using effective economic measures to reduce the emission. CO2 can be reduced through weight reduction, improved maintenance and fuel planning. Studies have proved that since 1990, air traffic management has delivered a four per cent improvement in the emission reduction. On the use of alternative fuels, he said IATA’s four member airline companies carried out test flying on biofuels. While virgin Atlantic and Air New Zealand successfully flew in 2008, Continental Airlines and JAL flew in January 2009. All the aircrafts were Boeings, he said. “We are waiting for the certification of the regulators. Once we get the nod from the competent authorities more flights would fly on bio fuels”, Browell said. http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=Local_News&subsection=Qatar+News&month=October2009&file=Local_News2009102871841.xml

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