The aviation sector’s economic recovery needs to go
hand in hand with a focus on sustainability, according to a meeting of industry
leaders in Geneva this week. However, IATA’s director general says that now is not the
time for environmental taxes.
Speaking at the cross-industry Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) Global
Sustainable Aviation Forum on Wednesday, IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de
Juniac said: “Covid-19 has devastated the aviation industry. But we are working
hard to reconnect the world safely and sustainably. We’re committed to pushing
ourselves, our partners, and governments to achieve our carbon targets in a
green recovery.
“But this is not the time for more environmental taxes that
punish people for reconnecting with family or who contribute to economic
recovery with business travel. For aviation, the keys to combatting climate
change remain investments in carbon offsetting, sustainable fuels and radical
green technologies.”
ATAG's executive director Michael Gill added: “Our
sector has a long-term climate change goal to cut CO2 emissions in
half by 2050. With the right help from governments, the energy sector and
technologists, we expect that global aviation will be able to hit net zero
emissions a decade or so later. Some parts of the world will be able to meet
this point earlier and a number of individual companies have already set goals
along these lines.”
He said that to achieve this would require a transition
from fossil fuel to sustainable aviation fuel and the acceleration of research
and development of electric, hybrid and potentially hydrogen aircraft.
“It will also require a commitment to collaboration
going even beyond our current levels,” he added.
Achieving this target needed to be done against a backdrop of what Gill called “the
deepest shock in [air transport’s] history”.
“We expect a reduction of up to 4.8 million jobs in the
sector by the end of the year and a massive hit to our ability to connect the
world. However, as we plan for the recovery of air connectivity, we also must
prioritise our environmental progress,” he said.
Luis Felipe de Oliveira, the director general of
Airports Council International, also spoke at the event: “The recovery of the
aviation industry will be a key driver of the global economic recovery. To
ensure that aviation can continue to provide the economic and social benefits,
it is crucial that we pursue a green recovery and lay the foundation for a
prosperous and sustainable industry for the long term.”
Chair of the International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations, Eric Fanning, said: “Manufacturers invest billions of dollars a year to make the next generation of airplanes even more fuel-efficient, but disruption from Covid-19 will make it difficult to maintain this level of investment in research and development. Moving forward, government and industry leaders must find new ways to collaborate on funding and developing innovative technologies that will address climate change."