Airlines vow to halve carbon emissions by 2050

[Turborama]

Source: Guardian

Exclusive: Industry will offer cut at climate change summit to avoid tougher action

Dan Milmo, transport correspondent

The aviation industry will tomorrow make a dramatic pledge to slash carbon dioxide emissions in half by 2050 in a move that will force up air fares and spark a green technology race among aircraft manufacturers.

The British Airways chief executive, Willie Walsh, will unveil an agreement between airlines, airports and aircraft companies to cut emissions to 50% below 2005 levels by 2050. In a bid to seize the initiative from environmental groups clamouring for higher taxes on the industry, the plan will be presented to world leaders at the United Nations forum on climate change in New York.

Airlines have been accused of dragging their heels over climate change, but the strategic shift reflects industry concerns that it could be ambushed at the global warming summit in Copenhagen in December if it does not address its growing emissions.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cif-green/2009/sep/21/copenhagen-summit-climate-change">Writing in the Guardian, climate change secretary Ed Miliband says he is haunted by the possibility that politicians will fail to reach a global climate deal. Calling for a new urgency and spirit of co-operation in the negotiations, he writes: "The fate of every nation on earth hangs on the outcome of Copenhagen. It is too important to play the cards-close-to-your-chest poker games that marked diplomacy of the twentieth century."

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/sep/21/airlines-carbon-emissions-cut

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41 years could still be seen as 'dragging their heels', it's a hell of a long time frame they've given themselves.

[rd_kent]

1. Airlines vow to be obsolete by 2050

At the rate technology is advancing (remember it was only 40 years ago that we went to the moon!) and as long as the world doesn't implode, we will be way beyond jet engines by then.

[natrat]

2. about 75 years too late- natural world beyond fucked

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

3. With their rates keep going up, who will be able to afford to fly 2050?

[pitohui]

8. going up? airfares this summer at record lows

lowest since immediately after 911, prob. the lowest of all time if you take inflation into account

flying is cheaper than taking the bus, safer too

at some point if you can't afford to fly, it's time to admit your life/income/something sucks

airlines don't make money from transporting folks, even the fabled southwest doesn't make money on airfares, it made money on fuel hedging (gambling)

[8 track mind]

4. Translated.....

we'll get around to it eventually. If we have to. I guess.

[bertman]

5. Tinkering around the edges. Our "commitment" to reversing climate change is pathetic.

[bemildred]

6. Sounds like a stall.

Nobody knows what it's going to be like in 41 years, but I'm pretty sure it will be at least as different as 1968.

[mike_c]

7. lol-- 40 years from now it will be a largely moot point, I think....

Unless they're using an alternative energy source to drive the planes, simple economics-- $50/gal fuel and bankrupt carriers-- will likely halve their carbon footprint.

[pitohui]

9. they're just parking airliners, that's how they do it now

they just keep parking airliners, so even tho demand is near record lows for the 21st century, the flights are always full because the fleet is parked in the desert somewhere

not sure what else they can do, barring inventing a new tech?

if we're serious about our carbon footprint, we could stop having wars and continue to allow people to travel for PEACEFUL purposes, to bind the world together financially

nuclear war, or even non -nuclear wars of the on going iraq type are not doing anything to save the natural world, they're destroying it and at far higher cost than people going about the world become inter-dependent for business or even pleasure purposes

to end travel for peaceful/business is to cut off nose to spite face, isolated xenophobic people won't be interested in saving a world they'll never see

[excess_3]

10. simple way out... print-up some carbon offsets...nt