In a letter addressed to European Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean on Wednesday, 24 June, ten or so organisations—most of them representing the aviation sector—committed to “speeding up work to decarbonise European civil aviation”, with a view to making the EU climate neutral by 2050, provided, however, that they receive financial support.
The signatories, which include the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airports Council International (ACI), recognise that “if civil aviation is amongst the hardest hit sectors by Covid-19, it is also one that faces far greater challenges when it comes to climate change”.
Nevertheless, the organisations stress that it will be difficult to make “timely and ambitious investments” without substantial public support and call on policymakers to ensure that the EU’s future Multiannual Financial Framework and the Next Generation EU recovery instrument (see EUROPE 12494/1) will benefit the sector.
They suggest, among other things, that public funds dedicated to the recovery should finance a green incentive scheme for aircraft operators and airlines to replace old planes and helicopters.
They also call for public investment in production facilities for sustainable aviation fuels and notably advocate that co-funding rates for civil aviation research be increased.
To read the letter and all the proposals: https://bit.ly/2BE4skF (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)