Page 29 - European Energy Innovation - Summer 2014
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Summer 2014 European Energy Innovation 29

AVIATION

Towards greener skies

By Simon McNamara, Director General ERA

The aviation industry promote activities to reduce the Numerous initiatives are helping
is committed to sector’s carbon footprint, improve the whole aviation industry work
addressing its impact air quality and minimise noise towards greener skies. These
on the environment pollution. include reduced fuel usage, the
and has set itself ambitious increasing use of alternative
targets to work towards greener It is important to remember fuels, carbon offset programmes,
skies. As an association with that, despite an often, negative efficient air traffic management
members representing the public image, aviation plays systems, innovative aircraft and
entire spectrum of the aviation an essential role, both socially engine design and the reduction
sector, the European Regions and economically, in an of noise pollution.
Airline Association (ERA) is at increasingly global world. It
the forefront of enabling these facilitates business, connects Reduced fuel usage and the
targets. ERA plays a key role cultures, promotes economic use of alternative fuels are both
in expert forums such as the development and drives trade key factors in lowering actual
Council for Environmentally and tourism. Wherever possible, emissions. Airlines have adopted
Friendly Aviation (CEFA) which aviation works to reduce a voluntary fuel efficiency goal to
have a shared vision of more its resultant impact on the reduce fuel consumption and CO2
sustainable aviation. ERA chairs environment through the best emissions (per revenue tonne
CEFA, which is made up of balance of social, economic, kilometre) by at least 25 per cent
aviation-related associations that operational and environmental by 2020, compared to 2005 levels
coordinate industry policy and policies. (source IATA).

Simon McNamara

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