Fact Sheet: Carbon Neutral Growth

• Historically the aviation industry has been growing by around 5% a year
• Efficiencies mean that emissions have grown by less than this, around 3% per year
• But a growing carbon footprint is unacceptable for any industry
• IATA’s 2007 vision was for carbon neutral growth on the path to building an emissions free plane by 2057
• At IATA’s 65th AGM in June 2009, the airline industry committed to achieve carbon-neutral growth from 2020

What is carbon neutral growth?

• Carbon neutral growth means that aviation’s net CO2 emissions will remain flat even as demand grows
• Net CO2 emissions from aviation would peak from 2020 and would decline after that
• CNG will be achieved by investing in measures to cut emissions within the industry or by financing projects to cut an equivalent amount of emissions in other industries

Industry goals

• Average improvement in fuel efficiency of 1.5% per year to 2020
• A cap on aviation CO2 emissions from 2020: carbon-neutral growth
• An aspirational goal to reduce CO2 emissions 50% by 2050 compared to 2005

Carbon Neutral Growth Contingent Upon

• ICAO setting emission standards for new aircraft
• Governments and fuel companies delivering sustainable biofuels
• Governments and ANSPs improve air traffic management, including Single European Sky and NextGen

Current status and forecast

• IATA’s strategy is delivering results: in 2008 emissions fell to 666 million tonnes CO2 compared with 671 million tonnes in 2007
• In 2009 emissions are forecast to fall further, to 623 million tonnes
  • Fall of 6.5% (43 million tonnes)
  • 4.7% due to capacity cuts (31 million tonnes)
  • 1.8% from efficiencies (12 million tonnes)
• These emissions reductions are mainly due to the general economic downturn and the strategy is predicated on long term growth of the industry

Updated November 2009