Climate change is a major threat to life on Earth. Recent studies have shown that the 20 warmest years on record have been in the past two decades, and the top four in the past few years. Over the last century, the average temperature of the Earth is found to have risen by 1.8F.
Over the next 100 years, scientists are projecting another 0.5 to 8.6F rise in global temperature.
Temperature change has been caused by human activities that have released large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases such as methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases into the atmosphere.
Reducing climate change, therefore is a serious global challenge.
It is in this context that global aviation industry has adopted a set of ambitious targets to mitigate CO2 emissions from air transport, although it is responsible for only 2% of global carbon emissions.
These include a cap on net aviation CO2 emissions from this year to achieve what is called carbon-neutral growth. The aviation industry also targets a reduction in net aviation CO2 emissions of 50% by 2050, relative to 2005 levels.
A recent summit of the global aviation industry, which was held in Doha and attended by top professionals including many airline CEOs, stressed that only a collective action can win the fight against climate change.
‘Doha Declaration of 2020’ emphasised that in the face of climate change, it is essential that the industry engage collectively to reduce the level of emissions.
To secure environmental sustainability for future generations, it is recommended that urgent action should be taken by airlines, governments and other stakeholders.
Doha Declaration 2020 called upon airlines to work actively with manufacturers and fuel suppliers to explore all avenues for emissions reduction, including but not limited to using and developing alternative fuels, and ensuring efficient operational processes.
Airline industry should promote a clear and coherent industry message to assure the public that effective measures are being taken and co-operate with and encourage airports to play an active and integral role in improving operational efficiencies.
Aviation industry leaders say they are confident that technology, operations and infrastructure measures will provide long term solutions for aviation’s sustainable growth. The industry favours a single, global market-based measure to address CO2 emissions from international aviation.
Many airlines fly into dozens of different countries on a daily basis, with some large airlines serving over a hundred different countries each day; they need to have a single point of accountability.
If airlines are subject to a patchwork of national or regional CO2 taxes, offsetting mechanisms, emissions trading schemes and other carbon pricing instruments, compliance would be unnecessarily complex and costly, they argue.
In 2017, the International Civil Aviation Organisation adopted the first ever global CO2 certification standard for new aircraft.
The standard sets limits to the CO2 emissions from aircraft in relation to their size and weight. The standard is projected to save significant quantities of CO2 once it comes into effect this year. Certainly, each one of us has a role to play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating our personal contribution to climate change.
