MONTREAL — Members of the airline industry group IATA pledged Saturday to improve fuel efficiency by 1.5 percent a year until 2020, and called on governments worldwide to provide incentives to speed biofuel development.

Representatives from the International Air Transport Association, which represents the world's largest airlines, also agreed to reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent from 2005 levels by 2050 during a meeting on climate change in Montreal.

IATA director Giovanni Bisignani said the meeting had made it "absolutely clear that industry is committed to improving environmental performance.

He added that cooperation between states and airlines would be key to lowering emissions.

"Governments have some homework to do, improving air traffic management and accelerating biofuel development by establishing the right fiscal and legal frameworks," he said.

He also called for "aviation access to global carbon markets to offset emissions until technology provides the ultimate solution."

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