The United Nations Climate Change Conference COP15) was held in Copenhagen, Denmark, between 7 December and 18 December, where a world treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol was discussed. Over 65 countries, 12,000 government officials, diplomats, NGO representatives and journalists attended this Summit.
Aviation played a special part in achieving conference goals: the organizers have involved the airlines in adopting some global measures in aviation aimed to save fuel and reduce harmful emission.
According to specialists, the Kyoto Protocol brought about a reduction of only 5% of the aviation emissions. Currently, the visions on aviation emissions reduction are different at the level of EU, US or Australian stakeholders. ICAO is to implement a global system to address all aviation emissions that should be accounted for at a global level (i.e. UN) and not by state. This is why it is desirable to establish some targets to include economic instruments for aviation emissions reduction at global level.
Currently, such instruments are differently developed based on the geographical position: cap and trade. In July 2009, the European Commission adopted the Directive 2008/101/EC so as to include the scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community, which measure compels the airlines to save fuel by implementing tough policies in flight operations, ground operations as well as aircraft maintenance operations. Starting with 2012, this scheme will include aviation emissions involving airlines operating to, from and intra-Community.
The challenges of the impact of aviation on the environment are closely related to the quality of life and sustainable development necessary to guarantee a clean environment for the future generations.
TAROM has participated to the Copenhagen Summit between the 7th and 18th of December 2009, being the only airline in the European Union that organized a side-event during the Summit and having as theme the implementation of a new operational procedure for fuel savings and harmful emission reductions.
TAROM is among the first airlines in the world that have initiated the pilot project "Continuous Descent Approach" (CDA): a total new procedure for landing that has the purpose of reducing the quantity of burned fuel.
CDA replaces the classic procedure of landing in stages, reducing not only the corresponding landing slope emissions, but also the noise pollution (the noise produced by aircraft). The pilot phase of this project involves the Airbus A318 aircraft of TAROM.
The analysis of the on-going project results, made in collaboration with AIRBUS and the Research Centre for Aviation and Environment (CATE), with headquarters in Manchester (Great Britain) shows a CO2 emissions reduction of up to 350 kilograms per flight. Currently, TAROM team works at optimizing the landing trajectory in CDA and obtaining an even greater reduction of oil consumption and CO2 emissions. You can find out more about TAROM environmental policy and the adopted measures for emission reductions.
Experts in aviation have also participated at TAROM side - event and have discussed not only the opportunities but also the difficulties that have to be overcome when elaborating a global approach regarding the emission reductions in aviation field.