AAPA lauds carbon pact
The head of the main trade group representing airlines in Asia said he welcomed the new emissions pact agreed to at the 39th general assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in Montreal.
Andrew Herdman, director general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA), said the new carbon offsetting scheme was a “landmark agreement” reached by the ICAO member governments and “adds a further dimension to those efforts in the form of a comprehensive global market based measure. We commend the 68 states who have demonstrated leadership by their commitment to be a part of the voluntary stage of CORSIA when it plans to start in 2020. We look to other states to follow this lead and declare their voluntary participation in the CORSIA.”
AAPA has been actively involved in developing the industry strategy on environmental sustainability, Herdman said in a statement, adding “although a great deal of work has gone into achieving this outcome, further challenges lie ahead in ensuring that the scheme is implemented effectively by governments around the world. Industry is committed to supporting ICAO in completing the technical work ahead which will provide the metrics, methodology and guidance needed to ensure a robust implementation framework.”
Herdman also said “the air transport industry fully acknowledges its climate change responsibilities, and has already taken action towards meeting challenging fuel efficiency goals. Implementation of the CORSIA will be critically important in reaching the more ambitious goal of carbon neutral growth from 2020.”
The AAPA leader said airlines in the Asia-Pacific region have already made “significant fleet investments in the latest technology” to cut carbon emissions and said governments have a key role to play to “in ensuring that the necessary aviation infrastructure keeps pace with the expected growth in demand, while improving operational efficiencies and reducing environmental impacts.”
