ICAO fails to take concrete action on aviation carbon emissions

The European Low Fares Airline Association (ELFAA) is very disappointed to note that the outcome of the 38^th General Assembly of ICAO once again failed to produce a global solution to address aviation emissions.

John Hanlon, ELFAA’s Secretary General stated:

“While some interests have hailed the outcome as a landmark resolution, in that ICAO states have agreed to continue to study proposals for a global Market-Based Mechanism to tackle aviation emissions, in reality, nothing of substance has been committed to, only three more years of discussions. ICAO has firmly rejected  the EU’s publicly stated dual aims - first, to reach agreement on a realistic path to developing a global Market Based Measure, and, second, to agree on a transitional Framework Agreement, for comprehensively applying national and regional Market Based Measures to international aviation.

This ICAO meeting had been seen by the EU as an opportunity to make a significant contribution to the reduction of national, regional and global CO2 emissions. That opportunity has been missed.” 

The European Parliament's support for the EU compromise to apply EU ETS to emissions from international flights in EU airspace only, as a "bottom line" concession, has also been rejected.  

In fact, none of the EU so called red lines, spelled out by Commissioner  Hedegaard, EU Commissioner on Climate Action, at the time of granting the "stop the clock" derogation aimed at enabling an agreement at ICAO level,  have been met by the outcome of the General Assembly of ICAO.