The Head of Environmental Affairs at Etihad Airways has been appointed to chair the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Environment Committee.

Ms Linden Coppell, an environmental and corporate social responsibility specialist, will chair the IATA Environment Committee for the next two years. The committee is responsible for environmental communication and developing and monitoring the aviation industry’s position on key challenges, including climate change and emissions management.

Ms Coppell said: “It is an honour and privilege to be nominated for this role. The IATA Environment Committee has been instrumental in achieving a unified position on climate change for the airline industry and the development of environment policies and strategies. I look forward to working closely with the committee members and airline environment representatives to further advance our progress in this field.”

Ms Coppell has more than 18 years’ experience in environmental affairs and has held various environmental roles for major organizations including Cathay Pacific Airways where she was the airline’s Environmental Manager. She was appointed as Etihad’s first manager of Environmental Affairs in January, 2009, and has spent the last three years developing and implementing a corporate environmental strategy for the Abu Dhabi-based airline. She represents Etihad on various committees including the regional Arab Air Carriers Association Environmental Policy Group.  She also chairs the Waste Management Task Force of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Group.