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ICAO reaches historic aviation emissions agreement
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Safe flight – Passengers walk across the newly-built Terminal 3 at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, on Sept. 13. (Antara/Lucky R.)
G
overnments around the world reached a crucial climate agreement during an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) meeting held in Montreal, Canada, on Thursday.
The worldwide aviation industry applauded the agreement that is expected to reduce emissions from aviation. The industry backed the negotiations, which aimed to put in place the world’s first carbon offsetting scheme for all global sectors. The measure was first proposed in 2009.
Cross-industry Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) executive director Michael Gill said the ICAO agreement was an historic moment for aviation and for climate negotiations in general.
“The industry took an unprecedented step to ask for a global measure to deal with the growth in aviation carbon dioxide [CO2] emissions from 2020 onwards. What was a visionary approach seven years ago has today become a reality,” he said.
“We thank the negotiators who have worked so hard to deliver a scheme that will successfully balance the growth in air transportation and all of the economic and social connectivity benefits that this brings with the need to address CO2 emissions from the sector.”
Gill further explained that 65 countries had volunteered to join the carbon offsetting and reduction scheme for international aviation in 2021.
“This means that over 80 percent of the total growth in aviation CO2 after 2020 will now be covered.”
International aviation was one of two sectors not dealt with in last year’s Paris Agreement.
“Negotiators in Paris had faith in the ICAO to deliver an agreement for international air transportation emissions tailored to the unique circumstances of our sector. That faith has truly paid off,” Gill said. (ebf)
