Enviro.aero has been established by the commercial aviation industry body, the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) to provide clear information on industry measures being undertaken to limit the impact of aviation on the environment.
At the 2008 Aviation and Environment Summit, organized earlier this year by enviro.aero, commercial aviation industry leaders signed a Declaration on Climate Change that brought together all sectors of commercial aviation - aircraft manufacturers, airlines, airports, air traffic control and engine manufacturers. This was the first time the industry had united in this way over a single issue.
The declaration outlines aviation's concept of "carbon neutral growth" with an aspirational goal of carbon-free flight. The industry aims to achieve this by focusing on a four-pillar approach to climate change: investment in new technology, increasing operational efficiency, air traffic and airport infrastructure improvements and appropriate economic measures.
The Declaration states: "We agree on the need to accelerate action to mitigate our environmental impact, especially in respect to climate change while preserving our driving role in the sustainable development of our global society."
"Our efforts and commitment to work in partnership with governments, other industries and representatives of civil society will provide meaningful benefits on tackling climate change and other environmental challenges".
The industry also called on governments to play their part by pushing forward a global, workable emissions trading scheme; helping with research and development; and being more proactive in reducing infrastructure blockages that result in unnecessary carbon emissions, such as implementing the Single European Sky.
The full list of Declaration signatories can be found at www.enviro.aero/Aviationindustryenvironmentaldeclaration.aspx.
SITA, the sponsor of .aero, was the first IT provider to the air transport industry to throw its weight publicly behind the Declaration. Signing the Commitment at the SITA's own Air Transport IT Summit, CEO Francesco Violante called for a revolution across the air transport community, in order to achieve carbon neutral growth.
"Governments, airlines, airports, air traffic management and IT providers must unite to make the quantum leap required for an immediate 12 percent reduction in carbon emissions, by eliminating airspace and airport inefficiencies."
"Smart investments in new aircraft and optimized route management will help achieve this realizable goal. Flight operations and better cooperation between all the stakeholders, through collaborative decisionmaking systems, will be key to this effort."
SITA has declared its own intention of delivering IT services that are 'green by design'. This includes a 70 percent reduction in the number of servers the organization uses - from 2,000 to 600. This will save one megawatt of power a year, offsetting 15m kg of carbon dioxide over the next 30 years. See www.environment.aero.
Based in Geneva, ATAG (the Air Transport Action Group) is the only global association that represents all sectors of the air transport industry. Its mission is to promote aviation's sustainable growth for the benefit of global society.
ATAG's members include airports, airlines, airframe and engine manufacturers, air navigation service providers, airline pilot and air traffic controller unions, chambers of commerce, tourism and trade partners, ground transportation and communications providers.
More information at www.atag.org.
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