Aviation’s Climate Action Takes Off
Collaborative climate action across the air transport sector
The Aviation’s Climate Action Takes Off initiative aims to control international aviation CO2 emissions through a basket of aviation CO2-reduction measures, including a goal of carbon-neutral growth through a global market-based mechanism.
Commitment
The initiative commits to support short-, medium- and long-term goals to cut emissions from aviation. It showcases action by industry and states in addressing CO2 emissions from international aviation. Measures include supporting developing new, more efficient aircraft technology and sustainable aviation fuels while promoting and deploying operational improvements to reduce CO2 emissions from aircraft already in service. It calls for better use of infrastructure, especially in air traffic management.
Through the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), the aviation industry also provided strong support to the development and implementation of International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), a landmark agreement, adopted at the last ICAO Assembly in October 2016, making the aviation industry the first sector to adopt a global market-based measure to address climate change.[1]
Governments agreed the world’s first global market mechanism for any single sector – the ICAO Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) will start to offset the increase of international aviation emissions from 2021, as compared to the baseline level of 2019 and 2020 average emissions.
In June 2018, the ICAO Council adopted global Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), guidance, and tools for a robust Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system for international aviation CO2 emissions under CORSIA, which will be implemented by Member States and aeroplane operators from 1 January 2019. In addition, ICAO is continuing its work for the determination of eligible emissions units that aeroplane operators can use to meet their offsetting requirements under CORSIA.
Partners and Signatories
ICAO represents 192 member states and ATAG represents 29 private sector companies or associations from the aviation industry.
Activities of the Initiative
Outreach and coalition building:
- At the 2016 ICAO Assembly, Governments agreed the world’s first global market mechanism for any single sector – the ICAO Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) will offset the increase of international aviation emissions growth from 2021, as compared to the baseline level of 2019 and 2020 average emissions.
- Organized two series (2015 and 2016) of five Global Aviation Dialogues ICAO/GLADS on market-based measures prior to the 2016 ICAO Assembly to address climate change with participations of states, civil society and aviation stakeholders in Africa, Middle East, Europe and North Atlantic, Asia-Pacific and the Americas
- Organized five ICAO regional seminars on CORSIA both in 2017 and 2018 to provide hands-on training for the implementation of CORSIA.
- In order to prepare for the CORSIA implementation from 1 January 2019, ICAO is also taking ACT-CORSIA (Assistance, Capacity-building and Training for the CORSIA) programme, including the establishment of CORSIA Buddy Partnerships among Member States, through which 15 donor States provide assistance to 90 recipient States to build their capacities to implement CORSIA.
- Organized ATAG roundtables for industry in seven cities worldwide.
- Organized Sustainable Aviation Forum by ATAG
- The historical global market-based measure agreement on CORSIA to address international aviation CO2 at the 2016 ICAO Assembly will complement the ambition under the UNFCCC Paris agreement NDCs.
Knowledge development:
- ICAO has worked with governments, industry and civil society to deliver the world’s first CO2 Standard for Aircraft, which was adopted by the ICAO Council in 2017. This is the very first “global design Standard” for CO2 emissions for any sector, and it was realized after six years of intensive work by many of the best experts in the world. The Standard guarantees up to a 10% fuel efficiency gain for each new type developed from 2020, relative to the average of current production aircraft types. It also addresses new deliveries of those aircraft that are already in-production from 2023. If they have not complied with the standard by 2028, they cannot be produced anymore. For context, approximately 40% of current production airplane type designs will need to be improved to meet the Standard.
- Regarding sustainable aviation fuels, the ICAO Conference in 2017 endorsed the 2050 ICAO Vision for Sustainable Aviation Fuels and called on States, industry and other stakeholders, for a significant proportion of aviation fuels to be substituted with sustainable aviation fuels by 2050. The 2050 ICAO Vision will be periodically reviewed through a stocktaking process to continuously assess progress on the development and deployment of sustainable aviation fuels, leading to the convening of the next ICAO conference no later than 2025, with a view to updating the 2050 ICAO Vision to include a quantified goal by 2050.
Resources
Focal Points
Jane Hupe, Air Transport Bureau, ICAO, JHupe@icao.int
Haldane Dodd, ATAG, doddh@atag.org
[1] http://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/Pages/market-based-measures.aspx
