Air Transport

A renegade group of major international airlines is calling for aviation to have its own climate czar. They want a new supremo to ensure that some of the money raised from a future global cap and trade system is pumped back into green aviation technologies.

The renegade Aviation Global Deal (AGD) group, which comprises Air France/KLM, British Airways, Cathay Pacific and Virgin Atlantic , has presented the alternative measure to UN climate change negotiators now discussing a post-Kyoto global climate change deal.

The group's members also include UK airport operator BAA and environmental non-government organisation The Climate Group. It says that its framework is designed to address international aviation's carbon emissions and will set out an "ambitious, equitable and effective" approach under a forthcoming deal to be agreed in Copenhagen in December.

The group's efforts on the fringes of the UN negotiating session in Bonn marks the first time that airlines have made direct recommendations to UN climate change officials on how their sector's carbon dioxide emissions should be addressed.

This input comes, however, shortly after leading industry organisations converged on the Aviation and Environment Summit in Geneva to reaffirm their support for the International Civil Aviation Organisation, which is leading the industry's efforts to draft a framework by late October in time for Copenhagen.

Organised by the Air Transport Action Group, the summit did end with calls on ICAO to "urgently renew efforts to recommend an appropriate global sectoral framework" and produce substantive proposals by the time its specially designated group meets in May.

The AGD group proposes that:

• International aviation's carbon emissions should be addressed through a global sectoral agreement, rather than a patchwork of regional initiatives, to avoid carbon leakage and maintain a level playing field.
• A global target is set for the sector, to ensure it plays its part in global CO2 emissions reductions.
• This is achieved through a "cap and trade" emissions trading mechanism, where the sector has open access to global carbon markets.
• An airline's carbon emissions are based on the carbon content of its annual fuel purchases and that the use of sustainable, lower lifecycle carbon alternatives are incentivised.
• An international body administers the system.
• Any revenue generated from auction of a proportion of carbon allowances is used for climate change adaptation and mitigation activities in developing countries and also research into greener aviation technology.

AGD claims widespread support after having consulted various government, industry and NGO stakeholders and says it is looking to build support for this proposal and engage further with negotiators and other stakeholders in the run-up to Copenhagen.