Aviation industry leaders have voiced optimism that governments will agree on a global carbon offsetting scheme for international airlines at a key meeting in September.
The UN-backed International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) will decide on the design of a scheme in which CO2 emissions growth from 2020 is offset through the international carbon markets, effectively capping the growth in international aviation emissions.
It is seen as part of a basket of measures to tackle aviation’s CO2 emissions, alongside new technology, use of sustainable alternative fuel, improved operations and more efficient infrastructure.
Iata director general and chief executive, Tony Tyler (pictured), while accepting that many details have still to be worked out, said the proposal met the airline industry’s needs for a “practical, transparent, fair and environmentally-credible” market based measure.
“Airlines are determined to do the right thing in mitigating their climate change impact. And we are counting on the 191 member states of ICAO to enable that important result by reaching an agreement later this year on a global market based measure,” he said.
Tyler was speaking at an Air Transport Action Group global sustainable aviation forum in Montreal.
ATAG executive director, Michael Gill, said: “We are now less than five months away from the crucial ICAO Assembly, at which industry hopes governments will agree to go ahead with the global offsetting scheme.
“We have come a long way and made impressive progress. But key negotiating points remain and we encourage our government colleagues to spend the next few days ironing out any remaining differences.”
He added: “These discussions were never going to be easy – this is the first time any sector has attempted such a global mechanism. But the industry is fully behind the plan.”