Much of the carbon dioxide gas released into the atmosphere comes from human activities especially the burning of fossil fuel, a primary source of energy production and transportation activities. Air transport is responsible for two percent of all the CO₂ released into the atmosphere. According to past records and statistics, air transport grows at the rate of five percent per annum, which translates to an increase of three percent CO₂ into the atmosphere annually or equivalent to 20 million tons.

          The release of CO₂ occurs not only from the burning of fossil fuel, but also throughout its production process starting from the drilling, transporting and refining of crude oil. These activities produce a huge amount of CO₂ and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Therefore, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has envisioned that the air transport sector must stop contributing to an increase of CO₂ and greenhouse gas emissions by year 2020, and eventually to reach zero emissions by the year 2057. In order to achieve this target, IATA recommends four major guidelines for the air transport sector:

1. Development of technology for both aircraft and engines for low fuel burn as well as aviation biofuels
   
2. Improvement of flight operations to ensure that effective fuel management strategy is implemented and reducing weight of the equipment on board
   
3. Improvement of airport infrastructure and facilities as well as air navigation services for effective air traffic management through the use of modern equipment and technology
   
4. Implementation of economic measures such as investment in carbon offset credits