UN Leadership Forum, IATA CEO says Obama Administration must support sustainable biofuels; Praj chairman supports climate change mitigation

In Washington, IATA CEO, Giovanni Bisignani said that the Obama Administration needs to support sustainable biofuels with the right fiscal and legal framework.

Bisignani added in remarks at the International Aviation Club that  “I have just come from meeting Carol Browner, the President’s top assistant on climate change issues. I emphasized that aviation cannot be treated in the same way as ground based polluters such as power plants. The US must exempt aviation from its cap-and-trade proposal to give ICAO an opportunity to develop a global sectoral approach.”

His remarks came as an IATA delegation presented a proposal for aviation emissions to the UN Leadership Forum on Climate Change, meeting this week in New York. The proposals called for a 50 percent reduction in aviation emissions by 2050, as well as short and medium-term goals.

In related UN Leadership Forum news, Pramod Chaudhari, Chairman, Praj Industries, is a member of the Round Table on “Sustainable Enterprise and Decent Work” and will also be presenting at the Report Back Session in the morning programme. The UN Leadership Forum on Climate Change is a precursor to the UN Climate Change Conference to be held in Copenhagen in December, 2009. The Copenhagen Conference is said to be a defining conference for setting new agenda on guiding policies of nations.

The UN Leadership Forum on Climate Change will be attended by over 200 Heads of States and Governments, Business and Society Leaders from round the world. The UN Secretary General, Ban-Ki Moon, presides over the forum. Through Round Table discussions, leaders will identify best corporate practices, exemplary collective action and innovative solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation specifically in areas of: food security, energy solutions, water security, sustainable enterprise and decent work, financing and disaster preparedness and risk reduction.

“I hope to make Climate Change Mitigation a stronger cause through my involvement in this forum and look forward to representing India as well as global energy issues on a larger platform”, said Mr. Chaudhari, who is Chairman of CII-National Biofuels Committee.

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