Meeting the challenge of aviation emissions: an aircraft industry perspective

In 1999 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) produced a report on aviation and the atmosphere that highlighted the role that aviation plays in climate change. As the report showed aviation impacts the atmosphere in a number of ways, including emissions of CO2 and NOx, water vapour and creation of cirrus plus contrails. Of these the significant climate impact comes chiefly from CO2, NOx and contrails/cirrus. In the years since the IPCC report green lobby groups, other NGOs and parts of the media have highlighted and foregrounded the role of aviation in climate change and have mounted a significant public relations campaign against the aviation industry. This paper acknowledges the role of aviation emissions in climate change and outlines how a number of stakeholders, especially the manufacturers of large civil aircraft, are seeking to create a cleaner and greener aviation system. The paper seeks to outline what might be realistically achieved through the current RD drive for more efficient aircraft and some of the other non-technical initiatives that are underway. The author argues that generally the sector has been quite open in acknowledging its responsibilities on the climate change issue and is investing heavily in finding solutions on a range of fronts. The paper also contends that while aviation must shoulder its environmental responsibilities, governments should not embark on policies that will damage a highly successful sector that supports millions of jobs in the European Union.