One Destination

British Airways was the first airline to offer carbon offsetting and is now the first airline to win Government approval following the launch of the Department for Energy and Climate Change new Carbon Offsetting Quality Assurance Scheme.

A global deal to tackle aviation emissions

We believe that the climate change talks this December will provide a huge opportunity to bring the aviation sector into a global climate change agreement.

Aviation emissions should be looked at on a global scale so that all airlines are covered by one single global agreement. It will also be simpler to administer rather than a patchwork of regional and national policies.

The entire aviation industry is calling on governments to set a global emissions cap from 2020 with a further target to reduce net emissions 50% by 2050, relative to 2005.

British Airways believes that governments should do the following:

1. Agree that aviation emissions should be addressed at a sector level rather than at a national level.
2. Establish ambitious emissions reduction targets for aviation.
3. Find a fair way to reconcile the principle that developed countries take the lead in addressing climate change with the principle that there should not be discrimination between airlines.
4. Provide a clear mandate for the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to develop the details by November 2010.
5. Avoid taxes on aviation as these provide little or no environmental benefit.
6. Commit to integrate the aviation sector in a global cap-and-trade system with full access to carbon markets.