Green report card: Making progress but could do better

Last week ICAO staged a 'High Level Meeting' in Montreal in an attempt to get some ducks in order before the long-awaited climate conference in Copenhagen in December. There was no particular surprise that delegates rubber-stamped a 2% per annum fuel efficiency improvement target, which effectively means an extrapolation of what the industry has already been doing for many years. But at least this is more stringent than the airline industry's self-imposed efficiency target of 1.5%. However, beyond that, there was some disappointment. The ICAO delegates' Declaration talked about a further 'aspirational' goal of 2% from 2021 to 2050, plus some weak talk about supporting the use of biofuels and a need to develop an economic framework. There was no mention of carbon neutral growth from 2020, or a 50% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050 compared to 2005, which is what the industry has imposed upon itself.

So, in summary, we have a situation where the industry has set tougher targets than their regulating states, who appear content to see the airlines forge ahead with a net growth in CO2 emissions.

ICAO will have another go at debating the issue at their Assembly in September 2010. Meanwhile, the spectre of a fragmenting patchwork of regional and national schemes still hangs over the industry.

As always, it's hard to be green these days.