The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has formalized a global agreement for addressing international aviation carbon emissions.
The ICAO plan results from the organization’s most recent triennial session, based on a structure for aviation policy agreed to in the Chicago Convention, finalized in 1944, which declares
that aviation policies must be global in origin and nature.
This newest plan, which requires U.S. government action in order to be applicable to companies using business aviation, is designed to create a single, workable, international emissions
framework, as opposed to allowing the development of a patchwork quilt of state and regional programs, such as the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS), adopted by
EU government officials in 2008.
The new ICAO plan, called the Carbon Offsetting Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), will apply to international flights between the more than 60 countries that have
volunteered to participate from 2021, with a view to capping international aviation emissions at 2020 levels. From 2027, participation by countries will be mandatory, based on each having
a certain level of international aviation activity.
Technical exemptions for small emitters - a provision the National Business Aviation Association said is an important and fundamental part of the agreement - were developed in
coordination with the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), of which NBAA is a member, and a multi-national group of representatives organized by the ICAO Committee for
Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP). Included among their provisions is a limitation of the applicability of the carbon-offset plan to operators producing more than 10,000 tons of
carbon emissions, while performing international flights between the countries participating in the plan. Domestic flight activity within the U.S. would not be counted.
Importantly, the standard will take a measured approach to implementation over the next several years, as countries determine the details of programs affecting their operators.
“This agreement recognizes that business aviation is and always has been at the forefront of efforts to reduce the industry’s environmental footprint,” said NBAA Presiden and CEO,
Ed Bolen. “We were early adopters of pioneering aviation technologies, including GPS, aircraft winglets, and composite airframes. We continue to develop and implement new technologies,
and as a result, business aviation is responsible for only a small fraction of total aviation emissions.”
Pete Bunce, President and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) said, “Today’s agreement stands as a testament to the global aviation industry’s
commitment to do its part to mitigate its effect on the earth’s climate. GAMA’s member companies that manufacture business aircraft, engines, avionics, and components worked hard to
achieve an agreement that will balance the industry’s continued economic growth with the need to address international aviation CO2 emissions. This historic agreement also incorporates
provisions that exempt small operators (defined as those whose international operations emit under 10,000 MT of CO2 per year) as well as small aircraft below 5,700 kg, the inclusion of
which would have made administration of the scheme onerous and expensive for small businesses.”
Brian Strutton, General Scretary of the British Airline Pilots’ Association said, “Pilots welcome these groundbreaking steps to make aviation more sustainable and less impactful on the
environment. The fact that airlines voluntarily agreed to the deal shows that aviation is taking environmental issues seriously. By supporting worldwide environmental goals the aviation
industry ensures it can continue to thrive while reducing the overall impact air travel has on CO2 emissions.”
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