Airline boss demands Asia resists EU emissions scheme
HONG KONG – Speaking at the “Greener Skies†conference – organised to enable Asia Pacific airlines to form a coordinated response to the current environmental debate – Cathay Pacific CEO Tony Tyler addressed a number of areas relating to aviation’s contribution to carbon dioxide emissions.
He also highlighted the work that’s being done by airlines, including Cathay Pacific, to limit their impact on the environment.
On an issue of great concern to the aviation industry – the European Union’s plans for an emissions trading scheme – he said that Cathay Pacific supports the industry position on emissions trading and believes a “cap and trade†approach is the way forward.
“But we couldn’t agree more with the industry in robustly opposing the extra-territorial notion that airlines entering EU air space should be charged for their emissions from the moment they turn over their engines at the point of departure,†Tyler said.
“That proposal simply defies logic and any sense of fair play.
“It is surely right that we need a global scheme to which we can all sign up, and not have the EU imposing its solutions on the rest of the world,†Tyler said.
The CEO recapped the work being done at Cathay Pacific on a number of fronts to minimise the environmental consequences of its operations, including engaging stakeholders through its corporate social responsibility commitment, addressing inefficiencies in air traffic management and enhancing the fuel efficiency of its fleet.
Cathay Pacific became the first Asian airline to introduce a carbon offset scheme in December last year.
Through the “FLY greener†programme, the airline – along with its sister carrier Dragonair – enables passengers to offset their travel using either cash or Asia Miles, with the offsets used to fund a wind farm project near Shanghai.
Ian Jarrett
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