September 23, 2009
Major players in the airline industry are expected to put forward goals at the United Nations climate change meeting which will be held in New York City this week.
Airlines have said that by 2050 they hope to reduce CO2 levels by up to 50 percent, however, this new ambitious reaction to climate change could lead to steady hikes in costs for flights.
Willie Walsh, chief executive of British Airways, will reportedly be announcing the airline industry’s aims at the UN forum for climate change, speaking on behalf of everyone in the industry, including airports and manufacturers. The movement to reduce airline CO2 emissions has been gaining momentum as they try to stay ahead of environmental groups seeking heavier taxes on aviation travel.
Many of the green groups attacking the airlines have accused the industry of being slow to act on climate change measures and have been planning protests for the global warming summit scheduled to take place in Denmark at the close of this year. The result of the announcement is expected to spur worldwide aircraft manufacturers into a frenzy to develop the next, “new” green aircraft in order to help airlines meet the demands by 2050 with minimal increase in flight costs.
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The UN is expected to be implementing a global carbon scheme to help reduce aviation CO2 emissions by implementing a a tax which would force airlines to purchase permits for their CO2 emissions. Walsh stated that the cost of these new permits would amount to £3 billion a year and would inevitably be passed on to the airlines’ passengers. The EU commission has said that the new permits would see a price increase for passengers of £8-9 per ticket for short commuter flights and as much as £40 per ticket for longer flights.
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