Climate-sceptic policies 'imperil' aviation decarbonisation by 2050: IATA
NEW DELHI (AFP): Climate-sceptic policies will "imperil" the success of decarbonisation of the aviation sector to which airlines have committed by 2050, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said on Sunday.
The emergence of leaders favouring fossil fuels, such as US President Donald Trump, and recent regulatory rollbacks, are "obviously a setback... it does imperil success on the 2050 horizon", Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA's senior vice president sustainability, told reporters.
"But I don't think it's going to halt or reverse progress. I think it will just slow progress," she said at the IATA annual industry conference in India.
UN aviation agency members, from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), have set the year 2050 as their goal for achieving net-zero carbon emissions for air travel -- an industry often criticised for its outsized role in climate change.
The air transportation industry has faced growing pressure to deal with its contribution to the climate crisis.
Currently responsible for 2.5 percent to three percent of global CO2 emissions, the sector's switch to renewable fuels is proving difficult, even if the aeronautics industry and energy companies have been seeking progress.
To achieve net-zero emissions, airlines rely on non-fossil sources known as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
IATA members preceded ICAO by a year, at their 2021 General Assembly, in setting this ambitious goal, which requires colossal investments.
But SAF fuels are still three to four times more expensive than petroleum-based jet fuel.
Washington's new Republican administration is also however supporting the development of fossil fuels, in contrast to the preceding Democratic one of Joe Biden. - AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Tariff tensions threaten students
The country blasted the United States over moves it alleged harmed Chinese interests, including issuing AI chip export control guidelines, stopping the sale of chip design software to China, and planning to revoke Chinese student visas. 'These practices seriously violate the consensus' reached during trade discussions in Geneva last month, the Commerce Ministry said in a statement. That referred to a China-US joint statement in which the United States and China agreed to slash their massive recent tariffs, restarting stalled trade between the world's two biggest economies. But last month's de-escalation in President Donald Trump's trade wars did nothing to resolve underlying differences between Beijing and Washington and Monday's statement showed how easily such agreements can lead to further turbulence. The deal lasts 90 days, creating time for US and Chinese negotiators to reach a more substantive agreement. But the pause also leaves tariffs higher than before Trump started ramping them up last month. And businesses and investors must contend with uncertainty about whether the truce will last. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the United States agreed to drop the 145% tax Trump imposed last month to 30%. China agreed to lower its tariff rate on US goods to 10% from 125%. The Commerce Ministry said China held up its end of the deal, canceling or suspending tariffs and non-tariff measures taken against the US 'reciprocal tariffs' following the agreement. 'The United States has unilaterally provoked new economic and trade frictions, exacerbating the uncertainty and instability of bilateral economic and trade relations,' while China has stood by its commitments, the statement said. It also threatened unspecified retaliation, saying China will 'continue to take resolute and forceful measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.' And in response to recent comments by Trump, it said of the US: 'Instead of reflecting on itself, it has turned the tables and unreasonably accused China of violating the consensus, which is seriously contrary to the facts.' Trump stirred further controversy Friday, saying he will no longer be nice with China on trade, declaring in a social media post that the country had broken an agreement with the United States. Hours later, Trump said in the Oval Office that he will speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping and 'hopefully we'll work that out,' while still insisting China had violated the agreement. 'The bad news is that China, perhaps not surprisingly to some, HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US,' Trump posted. 'So much for being Mr. NICE GUY!' The Trump administration also stepped up the clash with China in other ways last week, announcing that it would start revoking visas for Chinese students studying in the United States. US campuses host more than 275,000 students from China. Both countries are in a race to develop advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, with Washington seeking to curb China's access to the most advanced computer chips. China is also seeking to displace the United States as the leading power in the Asia-Pacific, including through gaining control over close US partner and leading tech giant Taiwan. — AP
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Friction over alleged trade deal violations
The nation said it 'firmly rejects' US claims that it had violated a sweeping tariffs deal, as tensions between the two economic superpowers showed signs of ratcheting back up. Beijing and Washington last month agreed to slash staggeringly high tariffs on each other for 90 days after talks between top officials in Geneva. But top Washington officials last week accused China of violating the deal, with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick saying Beijing was 'slow-rolling' the agreement in comments to Fox News Sunday. China hit back Monday, saying Washington 'has made bogus charges and unreasonably accused China of violating the consensus, which is seriously contrary to the facts'. 'China firmly rejects these unreasonable accusations,' its commerce ministry said in a statement. US President Donald Trump said last week that China had 'totally violated' the deal, without providing details. Beijing's commerce ministry said it 'has been firm in safeguarding its rights and interests, and sincere in implementing the consensus'. It fired back that Washington 'has successively introduced a number of discriminatory restrictive measures against China' since the Geneva talks. The ministry cited export controls on artificial intelligence chips, curbs on the sale of chip design software and the revocation of Chinese student visas in the United States. 'We urge the US to meet China halfway, immediately correct its wrongful actions, and jointly uphold the consensus from the Geneva trade talks,' the ministry said. — AFP
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Ringgit opens higher against US$ amid tariff concerns
KUALA LUMPUR: The ringgit rebounded to open higher against the US dollar on Monday, as markets assessed the outlook for US President Donald Trump's tariff policy, an analyst said. At 8.03 am, the local note rose to 4.2165/2490 against the greenback from Friday's close of 4.2530/2605. UOB Kay Hian Wealth Advisors Sdn Bhd head of investment research Mohd Sedek Jantan said the ringgit was supported by a weaker dollar, driven by renewed US-China trade tensions and concerns over possible new tariffs and taxes from Washington. He said the US Dollar Index (DXY) fell 0.11 per cent to 98.60 points from 99.00 at Friday's close, supporting other currencies as well. "The comments from Beijing and Washington signal frustration over unmet trade commitments. "Meanwhile, uncertainty surrounding Trump's proposed Section 899 'revenge tax' in the House-passed reconciliation bill and dovish expectations for the US Federal Reserve continue to weigh on the greenback,' he told Bernama. At the opening, the ringgit traded mixed against a basket of major currencies and ASEAN peers. It appreciated against the British pound to 5.7134/7574 from Friday's close of 5.7284/7385, but weakened versus the Japanese yen to 2.9567/9799 from 2.9531/9585, and slipped against the euro to 4.8270/8643 from 4.8169/8254. Against ASEAN currencies, the ringgit inched up against the Philippine peso to 7.57/7.63 from 7.62/7.64, but slipped versus the Singapore dollar to 3.2808/3066 from Friday's close of 3.2938/3002 and eased against the Indonesian rupiah to 259.4/261.5 from 260.4/261.1. - Bernama
