FINNAIR PARTICIPATES IN PROPOSING WORLDWIDE TARGETS TO REDUCE CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS
(Warsaw 16.6.2009) Finnair and the other airlines belonging to the Aviation Global Deal Group will propose together with The Climate Group emissions reduction targets for inclusion in the air transport emissions trading agreement that will possibly arise at the Copenhagen Climate Conference in December 2009.
The AGD Group will propose a worldwide sector agreement for air transport, covering the carbon dioxide emissions of all internationally operating airlines. Emissions reductions would be achieved with the aid of global targets. The AGD proposal includes three scenarios in which emissions will be reduced by 50-80 per cent by 2050.
“To really achieve a reduction in air transport emissions, the emissions trading agreement must be worldwide. An agreement covering only certain airlines or areas will cause carbon leakage, i.e. it will support operating practices that increase environmental loading, such as stopovers in the wrong places for the flight journey, outside the emissions trading area,” observes Finnair's VP Sustainable Development Mrs. Kati Ihamäki.
In the different scenarios, growth of air transport emissions would be halted or emissions reduced by five or 20 per cent by 2020 compared with their 2005 levels. The airlines would participate in international carbon dioxide trading so that adjustment to emissions restrictions and emissions reductions would be financially sustainable and emissions trading would act as a financial means of control towards more ecological operating practices.
The AGD proposal emphasises the equality of the emissions trading model. Revenue from the auction of emissions rights, up to five billion dollars, would be directed to measures to combat climate change in developing countries such as preventing the destruction of forests.
”Finnair has been actively engaged in environmental issues for over two decades, creating our first environmental policy group 20 years ago”, Mrs. Ihamäki says. “We continue striving to be a part of the solution to environmental challenges of concern to us all.”
The AGD Group includes, in addition to Finnair, The Climate Group as well as the airlines Air France-KLM, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Virgin Atlantic, Qatar Airways, the ground handling company BAA, and Virgin Blue Airlines as the most recent member.
For further information please contact:
Finnair Media Desk, tel. +358 (0)9 818 4020 or media.desk@finnair.com
Kati Ihamäki, Finnair, tel. +358 (0)9 818 4101
Tom Howard-Vyse, The Climate Group, tel. +44 (0)297 960 2991, +44 (0)7800
933 831 or thoward-vyse@theclimategorup.org
AGD Group's website: http://www.agdgroup.org/
Finnair blogs: http://blogs.finnair.com
Image bank: www.finnair.com/gallery
Finnair Group website: www.finnairgroup.com
via.Helsinki: www.viahelsinki.com
