Bloomberg News reports that British Airways CEO Willie Walsh will ask delegates at the United Nationsforum on climate change to support an initiative from airlinesto cut the industry’s carbon-dioxide emissions in half by 2050.

"Emissions from planes aren’t included in the KyotoProtocol, a 12-year-old agreement on reducing carbon-dioxideemissions that expires in 2012. The United Nations estimatesthat airlines account for about 3 percent of greenhouse gases.Walsh is part of an aviation-industry delegation at a UNconference in New York preparing for the Copenhagen meeting,which is aimed at formulating a successor to the Kyoto Protocol.

Under proposals backed by all 230 members of theInternational Air Transport Association in Geneva, airlineswould provide the UN with a framework for how the reductionswould be achieved by November 2010.

Technologies for reducing aircraft emissions range frombuilding lighter, more fuel-efficient planes to towing them ontorunways before pilots switch the engines on and refining air-traffic control so airliners spend less time circling beforelanding, according to the IATA plan published in June 2007."

Here's some more travel news you can use:

*  The New York Times notes that, "as the economy cuts into air travel, the carriers have had to rethink their approach to the front of the cabin. Some, like Unitedand Qantas, are embracing or considering expanding a concept calledpremium economy, which offers more legroom and comforts and fallsbetween coach and business in price." One airline industry expert described premium economy as, “less than half the price of business class, but it’s pretty good, often with a first-class amount of legroom.”

*  A former CEO of American Airlines, Robert Crandall, recently backed imposition of athree-hour time limit on how long airlines can strand passengers onairport tarmacs, but he also warned of unintended consequences – including more flight cancellations and modest fare increases.  He recommended an initial four-hour time limit to give airlines time tomake adjustments before ratcheting down to a three-hour limit in 2011.

*  MSN.com Travel recently featured a slide-show that exhibits "Airports with the Best Artwork."  If you appreciate art at the airport, you should check this out.