MEMBER states of the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) last week broke new ground by agreeing on a framework to curb the industry’s production of carbon emissions, a mere month-and-a-half before the EU’s emissions trading scheme (ETS) is scheduled to come back into play.
The landmark agreement was reached at the close of ICAO’s 38th Assembly, and commits ICAO to developing a global market-based measure that will help the industry achieve carbon-neutral growth from 2020.
Details of the agreement are likely to be finalised over the next few years and announced at the next ICAO assembly.
Welcoming the new deal in a statement released to the press, IATA’s director general and CEO, Tony Tyler, said: “Today was a great day for aviation, for the effort against climate change and for global standards and international cooperation. Industry, civil society and governments have worked hard to reach this point and keep aviation at the forefront of industries managing their climate change impact. Now we have a strong mandate and a short three-year time frame to sort out the details. Airlines need and want a global market-based measure.
“We should also recognise the important role that the European Commission and parliament have played in raising the aviation emissions issue up the international agenda. Aviation would not be in the climate leadership position it is in today were it not for their early and persistent efforts which inspired both industry and other governments.”
The European Commission ‘stopped the clock’ last November, implementing a year-long suspension of the ETS for international airlines, which means they did not have to surrender allowances in April for carbon emissions produced flying in and out of Europe during 2012 (TTG Asia e-Daily, November 14, 2012).
Andrew Herdman, director general of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines, also welcomed the news. He said: “Looking ahead, the challenge will be in ensuring that the collective industry commitment to carbon neutral growth from 2020 is implemented in a way that is fair and equitable, avoiding competitive market distortion, while reconciling the differing interests and perspectives of developed and developing nations.
“As industry, we will be offering our strong support to the programme of work needed to develop detailed proposals on the design and implementation of the global scheme, for approval at the next ICAO Assembly in 2016.”
