ICAO, Air Transport Action Group fight carbon emissions

Promoting best practices, supporting new strategy development and encouraging research are just some of the ways to reduce global emissions, according to a recently signed document between the International Civil Aviation Organization and the Air Transport Action Group.
Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez, ICAO council president, and ATAG’s Paul Steele signed the joint statement agreement at the fourth ICAO Symposium on Aviation and the Environment. The document offers six key actions needed to achieve global emissions reduction.

“Governments and industry need sound and consistent data as a necessary basis for future planning and initiatives on aviation’s environmental performance,” according to the document. “Significant collaboration and partnerships between ICAO and industry stakeholders can create synergies and real success, as demonstrated by the Rio+ 20 sustainable aviation alternative and biofuels initiative.”

Going hand in hand with a pledge to increase environmental research, the two groups also noted that they would keep improving the scientific understanding of aviation’s impact on the environment. The parties will also encourage the development of action plans among ICAO states to combat CO₂ emissions and will push for a global market-based measure for emissions.
This last action is at the heart of current environmental aviation struggles dating back to last year, when the European Union officially started its cap-and-trade emissions policy for aircraft entering Europe. After global outcry, the EU’s application of its emissions-trading scheme to the aviation sector was suspended so that ICAO might come to an all-inclusive solution. – Jon Ross

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