The airline industry recently hatched a new plan to cut carbon dioxide emissions across the industry, and will be presenting it to the UN today. The goal? Half the 2005 levels by 2050, according to British Airways chief exec, Willie Walsh.

The plan would likely hike ticket prices up, but many airline industry insiders are hoping the new plan will ward off criticism that they expect at the UN’s Copenhagen meeting on environmental issues, coming up this December. Aside from halving emissions by 2050, the proposal includes: making airline industry growth carbon-neutral by 2020, improving fuel efficiency by 1.5% over the next 10 years, and reporting back to the UN on a carbon trading plan by November 2010.

If the UN accepts these plans, the details will be worked out in Copenhagen this year.

The environmental org Greenpeace, is already criticizing the proposal, claiming that more effort should be focused on limiting flying, through initiatives like highspeed rail, instead of on greening the aviation industry.

What do you think of the potential proposal? What do you think of the potential proposal? Will it help decrease global warming? You can do your part to cut down on carbon and put an end to global warming too.