The International Air Transport Association (IATA) challenged governments to take four actions to support the aviation industry’s responsible approach to climate change.

First of these is adopting industry targets to stabilize and reduce aviation’s carbon emissions. Second is managing aviation’s carbon emissions via the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) under a new Kyoto II framework, treating aviation as a global industrial sector. Third is investing in efficient infrastructure, particularly air traffic management. Fourth is establishing fiscal and legal frameworks to develop biofuels for aviation.

The call for action came in a message from Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO, to delegates attending the recent Greener Skies Conference in Hong Kong.

“Our vision is for carbon-neutral growth on the way to a carbon-free future and we have challenging targets to guide us,” he stressed.

The industry-wide commitment on environment was formalized in a common industry working paper representing airlines, airports, air navigation service providers and manufacturers.

The industry will present this to the ICAO High Level Meeting on International Aviation and Climate Change which starts Wednesay (October 7) in Montreal .

It targets to improve fuel efficiency 1.5% on average per year through 2020, stabilize emissions with carbon-neutral growth from 2020 and reduce emissions 50% by 2050, compared to 2005.

“Our message to governments at ICAO is simple,” Bisignani explained. “We need a global sectoral approach to reducing aviation emissions. Governments should incorporate our industry targets as part of their solution.”

“The global sectoral approach would mean that governments account for aviation’s emissions at a global level and as an industrial sector, rather than within national targets,” he added.

This would ensure that airlines pay for their climate cost just once, not several times over and it would drive emissions reductions with global standards on a level playing field. ICAO would monitor progress with the help of IATA and the industry.

“Our track record shows that aviation is unique in its ability to drive major global changes,” the IATA CEO cited.

For example, IATA rolled-out e-ticketing to every corner of the planet in just 48 months. IATA’s four-pillar strategy to address climate change with modern technology, effective operations, efficient infrastructure and positive economic measures is another example.

“Implementing the four-pillar strategy, IATA has already saved over 68 million tonnes of CO2. This year we expect aviation’s carbon emissions to fall by 7% some 5% from the recession and 2% as a direct result of our work,” Bisignani declared.