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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has stepped up efforts to reach its target of making the air transport industry carbon neutral.

It has set down four challenges that the industry needs to reach in order to achieve its goal and one of those is to build a zero-emissions aircraft in the next 50 years.

Recent developments in the way planes are built, coupled with a growing desire among travellers to go 'green', has led to big developments in fuel efficiency and reducing the impact aeroplanes have on the environment.

However, the ultimate goal is to produce a plane that can continue to ferry passengers around the world without having a negative effect on the planet.

'I challenge the US, Europe, Canada, China, Brazil, Russia and Japan to coordinate basic research on a zero-emissions aircraft and then compete to develop products based on this research,' said IATA director general Giovanni Bisignani.

'Clean fuel is also critical. Governments have cut alternative fuel funding while oil companies are busy counting the US$15 billion (£7.5 billion) in increased refinery margins that the airline industry is now paying.

'The first target is to replace ten per cent of fuel with low-carbon alternatives in the next ten years. And the second is to begin developing a carbon-free fuel from renewable energy sources,' he added.

Mr Bisignani also called on governments and air navigation service providers to eliminate the current 12 per cent inefficiency in global air traffic management.

The third challenge centred on adopting a global approach to the issue of global warming and finally he called for airlines to implement green strategies across their business.

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