Aviation growth and global warming

The air transport industry, for the first time in its history, faces the real prospect of future growth being curtailed by governments seeking to impose flight restrictions on the grounds of environmental impact.

The debate surrounding aviation growth and its environmental impact is highly charged and volatile, on all sides. The aviation industry, its regulators and its environmental critics have all developed entrenched positions based on a complex web of sometimes competing scientific evidence.

This new PMi Media's Special Report has set out to examine objectively the real current and future impact of aviation on the environment.

This Special Report answers the following questions among others:

• What is the current and forecast impact of civil aviation on the environment specifically in terms of carbon dioxide and other noxious emissions based on the most current, recent and authoritative studies?
• What regulatory limits and measures are being taken globally to mitigate the impact of aviation on the environment? What effect will they really have?
• What is the current best forecast for air traffic growth over the next 20 years and what potential effect will this growth have on global warming and other potential threats to our environment?
• What measures are being taken by the aviation industry to mitigate its environmental impact current and forecast?
• How effective will these measures be? In the final analysis, will the aviation industry be able to increase air transport movements while decreasing its overall impact on the environment?

PMi's editorial team has examined hundreds of documents and sought the views of leading authorities in the aviation, government and environmental industries to assemble the empirical basis for this Special Report. After extensive analysis the Reports major conclusion is that future air transport growth can be decoupled from increased environmental impact if governments take concerted action now.

While the role of government, it concludes, has always been identified as the crucial factor in mitigating environmental damage the current mix of increased passenger taxes, emissions trading schemes and research initiatives will simply not meet the aim of lessening environmental damage while encouraging the development of an integrated global economy. A new regulatory approach is needed.

PMi's Special Report Aviation growth and global warming is available from June 2007. Read Outline of contents of this comprehensive report, and find out about product details and ordering information.