Global Sustainable Aviation Summit to take off in Geneva

 Experts from the aviation industry, governments and environmental groups are in Geneva next week for a series of meetings on sustainable aviation development. The headline event is the Global Sustainable Aviation Summit, hosted by the industry-wide body, the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), from 29-30 September. Climate change, the UN Sustainable Development Goals, sustainable alternative aviation fuels, new technologies, dealing with aircraft noise and emerging environmental issues – including finding ways to tackle the illegal trade in wildlife – are all on the agenda.

Executive Director of ATAG, Michael Gill, says that the Summit and associated meetings are a chance to bring experts and leaders from across the aviation industry together in one place, “there are a number of key environment challenges that the industry is working on, together with governments. Climate change is a subject that all parts of society are tackling. Aviation has taken a proactive approach and united together to advance its own plans, including ambitious goals for reducing emissions. We will be discussing those goals and the measures being taken to meet them this week – including the important work to design a global market-based measure for air transport from 2020.”

Keynote speakers at the Summit include André Borschberg, the CEO and pilot for the record-breaking Solar Impulse challenge; John Scanlon, Secretary General of CITES; and Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, President of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council. ATAG, representing industry, and ICAO, representing governments, collaborate closely on climate change solutions within the sector.

Around 300 delegates will attend the Summit, at which the industry is expected to make several announcements on aviation and climate change. The event will also hear the latest information on the ongoingICAO talks to develop a global market-based measure for air transport.