Aviation contributes around 2.0 per cent of world emissions of carbon dioxide from fossil fuels (and from this and other emissions about one thirtieth of man's contribution to global warming). However, the airline has made it clear that it is serious about sustainable development.

``It reflects the growing interest in the contribution of aviation to climate changes and our determination to limit any deleterious effects of our operations. We believe our targets can be achieved provided the airline continues to make the economic progress necessary for the investment in new, cleaner technology,'' says BA chief executive Bob Ayling.

The report shows that the airline continues to lead the worldwide aviation industry in environmental care and in setting tough new targets. In environmental management systems,its departments and business units have committed to attain a ISO 14001 certification.

During the past 12 months, the airline has virtually eliminated ozone depleting substances from its engineering maintenance, launched the first local bus network within the London Transport system and donated more than $ 1 million of support to bio-diversity and other environmental causes.

BA aims to meet its tough new fuel efficiency target through a combination of investment in new aircraft, improvements in air traffic control and operational changes.

In the past year, all managers in the airlines' engineering division have been trained in a one-day environmental course and 700 operational staff have attended a shorter, more focussed course. Individually tailored courses were held for groups such as managers in Line Maintenance world-wide.

Senior executives from the airline met with NGOs in May to review aviation's impact on climate changes and possible control measures. ``To the best of our knowledge, no otherairline has set such an exacting target. It's an important first step on the road to sustainable aviation,'' says Dr Hugh Somerville, head of environment, BA.

For the first time, the annual environment report includes an independent view on BA approach to sustainable development. ``Climate change, and the need for the aviation industry to develop a fully thought-through response to it is recognised at various levels within British Airways as one of the key factors affecting the long term prospects of the company. The issue of emissions can't be dealt with isolation from a wide range of other sustainability issues which are likely to present both constraints and opportunities for the industry; the way in which British Airways is integrating these issues is still fairly tentative,'' says Jonathan Porritt, chairman of The Natural Step, UK-based NGO which did a review of the airline's commitment to sustainable development. The report also shows that BA has continued to make progress in reducing noise andemissions and improving fuel efficiency and energy management. Today 95 per cent of BA's aircraft from Heathrow and Gatwick operate within the defined departure tracks.

There is still room for improvement, though. Potential areas of improvement are waste minimisation and addressing the long-term impact of aviation on global climate, says the report.

Besides, says David Cook of The Natural Step, ``The progress being made toward examining the social impacts of British Airways activities is still slow and not as effectively embedded in corporate structures and processes as environmental work.''

But Porritt lauds some other measures. ``There is new and creative thinking taking place within the airline on dealing with greenhouse emissions in a way that goes well beyond the kind of `defensive minimalism' that once characterised industry responses,'' he says.

An understanding of the economics and business implications of sustainable development, particularly as regards emissions, is only beginning to emergeand is not widespread. ``There is potential for British Airways to take a leadership role within the aviation sector and wider. This can't be realised unless all aspects of the organisation start to develop a common understanding of what sustainable development really means for the airline and its future prospects. That kind of commitment to sustainable development needs consistent and inspirational leadership from the very top all the way through the company,'' he concludes.