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Date: 18 June 2015
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Remarks of Tony Tyler to the
Aviation and Climate Change
Special Event at the Paris Air Show
Madame la Ministre
Monsieur le Ministre,
Chers collègues de GIFAS,
C’est un privilège pour moi d’être parmi vous au Bourget pour participer à ces
discussions importantes. Je vous remercie pour votre accueil.
IATA AGM Ne ws Room, 7-9
Si vous me le permettrez- la plus grande partie de mon intervention sera dans ma
langue maternelle, l’anglais. Mais le vrai francophile que je suis ne peut pas
s’empêcher de profiter de cette belle journée d’été à Paris pour sortir rapidement
son français, juste pour un petit vol d’essai !
June , Miami
Subs cribe to IATA Pre s s
Communications
Me dia age nda & pre s s
Certes ce musée magnifique, qu’est le Musée de l’Air et de l’espace, situé à deux
re le as e s che dule (pdf)
pas d’ici, nous rappelle les technologies d’autrefois. Mais le Salon du Bourget nous
fournit également une vision de ce que le futur peut rendre possible. Et je suis
confiant que les engagements de l’ensemble du secteur de l’industrie aéronautique
vont contribuer à un avenir prometteur et respectueux de l’environnement.
Madame la Ministre, Monsieur le Ministre,
Je n’ai pas besoin de vous rappeler qu’une grande responsabilité vous incombe
pendant les 6 prochains mois. Les discussions lors de la COP 21 représentent une
étape clé sur notre chemin vers un avenir durable pour le bénéfice de tous les
citoyens du monde. Et il est vital qu’en décembre les gouvernements participent aux
discussions avec la même attention et la même énergie que vous avez, vous-même,
démontré lors des préparatifs à cette réunion internationale cruciale.
On nous le rappelle souvent, et à juste titre : le secteur privé doit également prendre
ses responsabilités. Et c’est pourquoi, je souhaiterais prendre quelques instants pour
partager avec vous ce que nous faisons de notre côté, au sein de l’industrie
aéronautique commerciale, pour faire avancer cette question.
[Cont inues in English (t ranslat ion of above available at end)]
This year is not only vital for the international negotiations on climate change, but it
also marks a significant milestone in another United Nations process – the formation
of goals on sustainable development. The two issues are, of course, interlinked. We
cannot have sustainable economic development without strong social progress and
people cannot continue to live in a world with significant climate change risks. Pulling
people out of poverty has environmental benefits and moving towards a more
efficient lifestyle also brings about economic gains.
The aviation sector has long realized this also. We currently support 58 million jobs
and $2.4 trillion in GDP. Over half of all international tourists and a third of world
trade travels by air. Today’s modern world, for business, for families and for trade
would look very different without the rapid connectivity that air travel brings.
Indeed, in some parts of the world, particularly for remote communities and small
island states, aviation is the lifeline to the outside world. And the growth in air travel
is benefiting the trade and tourism of developing and emerging economies the most.
So, how do we reconcile the need to serve all corners of the globe, to help boost
development and support sustainable tourism, whilst also taking care to reduce CO2
emissions?
I am extremely proud to say that aviation took early action on this and, back in 2009
through the Air Transport Action Group, put together a comprehensive and ambitious
plan. We have spent the last six years making that plan a reality. I will not go into
great detail about our climate action framework, but it includes three key goals:
1. A short-term fuel efficiency goal, which I am pleased to say we are currently
surpassing.
2. A mid-term goal to stabilize net carbon dioxide emissions from aviation at 2020
levels. Coincidentally, 2020 is also the date at which the Paris Agreement we are all
hoping for is due to come into force.
3. And finally a long-term goal to halve CO2 emissions from the sector by 2050.
These goals are being pursued through a package of measures encompassing new
technology, operational improvements, more efficient infrastructure and – perhaps
most challenging – for the 2020 goal a global market-based measure for aviation.
Online Magazine
If you allow me, I would like to make a few observations about that climate action
agenda for the aviation sector.
First of all, business groups are often criticized for operating under ‘business as
usual’ conditions. I would argue that, for aviation at least, business as usual is
improving energy efficiency. It has always been that way. Even before we set our
industry-wide goals, the sector has been improving our fuel burn, thanks in no small
part to the efforts of our manufacturer colleagues displaying their latest models here
at Le Bourget. In fact, for those of you who arrived in Paris today by air, your flights
produced half the CO2 per kilometer flown than they would have done in 1990. And
since we signed the industry goals in 2009, airlines have spent nearly a trillion dollars
putting new energy-efficient aircraft into their fleets.
The fourth pillar of our climate action plan is the development of a global marketbased measure for air transport. This is unusual – to have an industry enthusiastically
pushing for such regulation on an international scale is not common – but it is a
pragmatic response to the likely alternative: a patchwork of unilateral, unrelated and
complex taxes and charges. A global industry such as ours requires a global solution
and, since the world’s governments agreed to develop the MBM at the International
Civil Aviation Organisation, ICAO, we have been hard at work with them and civil
society putting in place the essential foundation for an international scheme.
We firmly believe that a simple, global, offsetting mechanism that ensures fair
treatment of all airlines and simplicity of design will help deliver the greatest
environmental integrity in the most cost-effective way. Progress is extremely
encouraging and we are putting all of our efforts into achieving a final agreement in
September next year. We are confident that, given the current pace of discussions, it
will be possible for an agreement to be made at ICAO next year, with the
implementation details being clarified in the lead-up to 2020. This is not a process
without challenges of course, but it is also the first time such a global mechanism for
an individual sector has ever been attempted. Once again: aviation showing
leadership.
Whilst the rest of the world is rightly concentrating on the COP21 talks in December,
for us in aviation, the ICAO Assembly in September 2016 is the real focus. With all due
respect for the significant progress that has been made in the UNFCCC discussions,
the unique circumstances and international nature of air transport require a different
approach than the UNFCCC is able to provide. I would be very concerned to see the
excellent progress we see being made at ICAO impacted in any way by any wrong
turns at COP21. The processes are equally important but need to be kept entirely
separate. But I do believe that a good outcome in Paris at the end of the year can
only help to provide momentum at ICAO too.
I would like to finish my remarks with a few thoughts on collaboration. In our sector,
this is an everyday reality. But on the issue of climate change, that collaboration has
grown even stronger. The goals I mentioned at the beginning were committed to not
just by airlines, but also by our partner airports, air navigation service providers and
manufacturers. This is an industry-wide effort. And it also goes beyond industry itself.
Collaboration is taking place with governments, with civil society and with the
research and academic community as well. It is an effort that requires all parties to
be committed, much like the broader climate challenge. I am happy to report that we
have commitment and energy and focus on the aviation front. In many ways, I believe
that this is an example that other industries can follow.
We have some tough work ahead of us at ICAO and the negotiators meeting for
COP21 in this very location in six months will also have a daunting task. But they can
rest assured that, for one sector at least, climate action really has taken flight.
[English version of opening paragraphs]
Ministers, GIFAS colleagues,
I am honored to join you here at Le Bourget on the occasion of this very important
discussion.
I will make my comments in English, but I wanted to use the opportunity of being in
France on a lovely summer’s day to take my French out for a little test flight!
The magnificent Air and Space Museum a few steps from here is a reminder of
technologies from the past, but air shows like Le Bourget also provide us a vision of
what is possible in the future. And, with commitment from across the aviation sector,
we know that future can be bright and eco-efficient.
Ministers, I don’t need to remind you that you have a tremendous responsibility in the
coming six months. The COP21 discussions are a key step on the road towards a
sustainable future for citizens around the planet and it is vital that all governments
give the December talks the same focus and dedication I know you have been
providing.
As we are so often reminded, the private sector has to shoulder responsibility too
and I want to take a few minutes to talk to you about the work that the commercial
aviation industry is doing on this most important of tasks.
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