The International Air Transport Association (IATA) criticised the Copenhagen Accord for not addressing aviation emissions despite the industry being proactive in cutting back on emissions.

The aviation industry will achieve the global targets recognised by the member states of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in October 2009 and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, IATA said.

It called for all member states to improve fuel efficiency by an average of 1.5% a year to 2020 and stabilised carbon emissions and carbon-neutral growth.

The organisation has also called for a reduction of 50% in global aviation emission levels by 2050 compared with 2005 levels.

IATA director general and CEO Giovanni Bisignani reiterated the need to establish a global sector-wide approach to aviation and climate change under the leadership of ICAO.

The global sectoral approach, under ICAO, offers full accounting for aviation emissions as a global industrial sector, global coordination of economic measures as well as full access to global carbon markets.

IATA and ICAO said they will work closely to prepare a global framework for managing aviation emissions to be considered in the ICAO assembly in September 2010 and presented to COP16 in December 2010.

Both organisations have requested governments avoid creating national and regional solutions.

The aviation industry is working towards the goals through a four-pillar strategy that focuses on investing in new technology, flying smarter, building efficient infrastructure and positive economic measures.