India Releases Firstever detailed Aviation Carbon Footprint Report for 2011

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) presented today the 2011 Carbon Footprint Report for the Indian Aviation Industry, in line with India’s initiatives to address the climate change challenge.The report was released at the 49^thConference of Directors General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Asia Pacific Regions being held in New Delhi.Compiled for the first time in such a detailed format, the report was prepared in cooperation with the major airlines and airports of the country and with the support of the European Union/India Civil Aviation Cooperation Project is another milestone for the Indian Civil Aviation strategy of developing a sustainable aviation framework. According to the report:

* The carbon footprint of Indian scheduled airlines for domestic and international operations was 12,704,000 tonnes of CO₂; a 6% increase in comparison to 2010.

* The carbon footprint of foreign airlines serving international destinations from Indian airports, based on fuel uplift from India, reached 3,623,000 tonnes of CO₂.

* CO₂ emissions from Indian scheduled airline operations as well as from foreign airlines to international destinations represent less than 1% of the country’s total CO₂ emissions. This number is significantly lower than the global average contribution of airlines, which represent approximately 2% of global anthropogenic emissions.

* In the business-as-usual scenario (i.e., no measures taken to reduce emissions), emissions of Indian scheduled airlines from domestic and international operations could reach 27,000,000 tonnes of CO₂ by 2020.

* Emissions from operations at Indian airportsare much less than airline emissions and are estimated at approximately 700,000 tonnes of CO₂.

On the occasion of releasing the report, DGCA ShriArun Mishra stated:“India’s growing aviation market significantly contributes to the development of the country, but inevitably also leads to environmental challenges. We are committed to developing a vision for sustainable aviation while safeguarding the industry’s growth.We will continue estimating the carbon footprint of Indian aviation on an annual basis and providing workshops to airports/airlines on climate change, andwe will formulate a realistic climate change policy for the aviation sector.”

Secretary General of International Civil Aviation Organisation, Mr. R. Benjamin while unveiling the Report said: “India has taken important steps in the field of aviation and climate change. This is evident from the effective airline initiatives on fuel efficiency and fleet renewal, the participation of 3 Indian airports in Airport Carbon Accreditation, and the development of the carbon footprint of Indian aviation by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. I am confident that India will continue with the implementation of proactive measures, which represent the most efficient way to combat climate change.”

The Carbon Footprint of Indian Aviation 2011 report is available at http://dgca.nic.in/env/carbon_ind.htm