Environmental Leader

Hoping to fend off criticism from environmental groups, four leading international airlines are asking (PDF) that any new climate treaty include a component on aviation emissions.

The aviation industry, which emits at least 2 percent of carbon emissions, is seeking a solution that it can have a say in, instead of having one imposed upon it, according to the USA Today.

Taking the lead in the initiative are Air France/KLM, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Virgin Atlantic and airport operator BAA, according to the article. The airlines met recently in Hong Kong.

They are calling themselves the Aviation Global Deal Group.

With the first phase of the Kyoto Protocol – the United Nations’ main weapon to fight global warming – due to end in 2012, nations will meet later this year in Copenhagen to try to agree on a broader climate pact. Aviation and shipping companies are expected to stake out positions in the new pact.

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