The airline industry surprised many observers in September when the International Air Transport Association pledged that the sector would cut its carbon dioxide emissions by half by 2050, compared with 2005 levels.
It was the first big move by airlines as a body to tackle greenhouse gases and climate change, and the sector has in the past often been opposed to regulations that would reduce emissions. Airlines account for only about 2 to 3 per cent of global emissions at present, but the sector’s contribution has been growing with the rise of low-cost airlines and increasing passenger numbers, and as emissions from some other sectors in developed country economies have gradually slowed.
