Walsh calls for end to unviable 'green' policies

BTN News
Thursday, 06 June 2024

Green aviation policies should be subject to economic realities and abandoned if their costs outweigh the benefits, according to Willie Walsh, the former airline ceo who now is director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).


Governments should have the courage to drop green policies and change tack if they stop working or can't be shown to deliver on their promises.

Walsh was speaking about approaches to decarbonise the aviation sector and tackle the climate crisis and he used the opportunity to lash out against green levies on the sector.

He said more taxes were not the solution to achieving net zero and that 'fragmented green tax proposals' were counter productive, grounding 'all but the rich'.

“Measures must have provisions for review and abandonment if they are not producing the intended results,” he said. 

“When a policy has clearly failed – especially when costs outweigh benefits – regulators must have the courage to stop, and change tack fast.”

Walsh said governments sometimes mandated airlines to buy sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) in quantities that did not exist. 

In France, for example, fuel suppliers accepted penalties for failing to provide enough SAF, but then passed those costs on to airlines. "This must be stopped,” Walsh said.

Walsh calls for end to unviable 'green' policies

BTN News
Thursday, 06 June 2024

Green aviation policies should be subject to economic realities and abandoned if their costs outweigh the benefits, according to Willie Walsh, the former airline ceo who now is director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).


Governments should have the courage to drop green policies and change tack if they stop working or can't be shown to deliver on their promises.

Walsh was speaking about approaches to decarbonise the aviation sector and tackle the climate crisis and he used the opportunity to lash out against green levies on the sector.

He said more taxes were not the solution to achieving net zero and that 'fragmented green tax proposals' were counter productive, grounding 'all but the rich'.

“Measures must have provisions for review and abandonment if they are not producing the intended results,” he said. 

“When a policy has clearly failed – especially when costs outweigh benefits – regulators must have the courage to stop, and change tack fast.”

Walsh said governments sometimes mandated airlines to buy sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) in quantities that did not exist. 

In France, for example, fuel suppliers accepted penalties for failing to provide enough SAF, but then passed those costs on to airlines. "This must be stopped,” Walsh said.