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Fact Sheet: Environment

Industry Goals

  • IATA’s goals are for:
    • An average improvement in fuel efficiency of 1.5% per year to 2020
    • A cap on net aviation CO2 emissions from 2020: carbon-neutral growth
    • Reduce net CO2 emissions 50% by 2050 compared to 2005

Air Transport’s Environmental Track Record

  • Air transport contributes 2% of global manmade CO2 emissions
    • Projected to grow to 3% by 2050 (IPCC)
  • Total climate change impact (including radiative forcing from other greenhouse gases) is 3%, and projected to grow to 5% by 2050 (IPCC)
  • Air transport has reduced its fuel use and CO2 emissions per passenger kilometer by 70% compared to 1970s
  • Total emissions for 2010 increased by 3.5% to 649 million tonnes CO2 (compared with 627million tonnes in 2009)
  • Emissions growth of 3.5%  in 2010 is the result of
    • Increase of 5.2% due to capacity increase (33 million tonnes)
    • Reduction of 1.7% from efficiencies (11 million tonnes)

IATA’s Four Pillar Strategy to Address Climate Change

1. Technology

  • Short-term: enhancements and modifications to existing in-service fleet
  • Medium-term: accelerate fleet renewal, introduce latest technologies, including drop-in  biofuels
  • Long-term: radical new technologies / designs.
  • IATA Technology Roadmap identifies technologies that could reduce fuel burn per aircraft of up to 30%\

2. Operations

  • Improved operations can save fuel and CO2  by up to 6% per year (IPCC)
  • IATA helps fuel conservation by compiling best practices, publishing guidance, visiting airlines and training (via Green Teams).
  • Green teams saved 22.5 million tonnes of CO2 since 2005 (saving $5.6 billion)
    • Another 18.8 million tonnes of CO2 savings identified (saving $4.2 billion)
  • IATA will extend fuel conservation programs and promote airline environmental management systems

3. Infrastructure

  • Governments and infrastructure providers could eliminate up to 12% of CO2 emissions by addressing airport and airspace inefficiencies (IPCC)
    • Some 4% of this has already been achieved since 1999 (CANSO)
    • Single European Sky, US Next Gen Air Transport System and flexible airspace access would contribute to these savings
  • IATA’s work with stakeholders have saved 37.3 million tonnes of CO2 since 2004 (saving $6.7 billion)

4. Economic measures

  • First three pillars alone will not be enough to stop the growth in aviation’s carbon footprint. Smart economic measures are needed to bridge the gap
  • Governments must take a global approach to reducing aviation emissions, not through a patchwork of individual policies:
    • Carbon emissions to be centrally monitored to ensure emitters are held accountable just once for their emissions
    • Avoid distortion and leakage

5. Savings from IATA’s Proactive Strategy for Fuel Efficiency

  • Since 2004 IATA saved 78.6 million tonnes in CO2 emissions and $16.5 billion in fuel costs
    • 22.5 million tonnes CO2 from operations implemented since 2005
    • 18.8 million tonnes CO2 from operations identified since 2005
    • 37.3 million tonnes CO2 infrastructure since 2004
  • IATA’s direct infrastructure work in 2011
    • 1 Continuous Descent Arrival
    • 6 Flexible Use of Airspace
    • 64 Performance Based Navigation
    • 5 Flex Routings
    • Saved 0.76 million tonnes CO2 and saved $ 243 million
  • IATA Green Teams in 2011:
    • Received 19 airline reports on fuel savings implementation
      • 0.84 million tonnes of CO2 saved through implementation
      • 0.76 million tonnes of CO2 savings identified

 

Updated: December 2011


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