8 October 2010
The 190 contracting states of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has achieved the first Global Governmental Agreement with aspirational goals to stabilise carbon emissions, Formalised in a resolution of the 37th ICAO Assembly, which took place in Montreal.
The ICAO resolution calls for:
- improving fuel efficiency by 2% annually to 2050;
- striving to achieve a collective medium-term aspirational goal of capping aviation’s carbon emissions from 2020; and
- a global CO2 standard for aircraft engines with a target date of 2013.
The ICAO resolution also calls for the development of a global framework on market-based (economic) measures by the 38th Assembly (2013) based on 15 agreed principles. These principles are designed to minimise market distortions, safeguard the fair treatment of aviation relative to other sectors, ensure that aviation’s emissions are accounted for only once and recognise both past and future efforts of carriers.
The agreement’s principles on market-based measures have implications for all Governments with, or seeking to implement, environmental schemes or taxes. In light of this agreement, all states should review any economic measures, planned or implemented, to conform to the agreed principles.
Industry’s ambitious targets are still ahead of Government’s and the industry commitment to cut emissions in half by 2050 compared to 2005 remains the global benchmark. The entire aviation industry is committed to working under the leadership of ICAO as it moves forward to achieve both the aspirations outlined in this most recent agreement and the industry’s targets. Mr Bisignani stated that this is the message that will be taken to the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Cancun later this year.