Brussels, 11/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 8 October, the190 delegations meeting at the 37th session of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) reached an agreement on an overall greenhouse gas emissions reduction target for the aviation sector. This collective target is part of the assembly's resolution and outlines that the aviation sector will put a ceiling on its greenhouse gas emissions as from 2020. It also admitted that specific countries or regions would be able to take unilateral and more ambitious initiatives to reduce emissions before this date. The agreement obtained after a decade of talks also includes a gradual decrease in fuel consumption by the sector at a rate of 2% a year. It also approved the European Trading Scheme (ETS) on greenhouse gas emissions quotas, which will enter into force on 1 January 2012 for flights to and from the EU. This will not, however, be linked to the bilateral agreements previously demanded by certain ICAO members, including the US (EUROPE 10219).
Siim Kallas, the European commissioner for transport explained to the press that this agreement demonstrated that, “when there is the political will, and when the EU speaks with a single voice, we can obtain significant results”. In a press release, he added that, “there is a lot more work to be done, but this is a deal which is very good news for the aviation sector, good news for the environment and good for a more sustainable future”. His counterpart responsible for climate action, Connie Hedegaard, welcomed the fact that the ICAO had recognised the necessity of setting a ceiling on emissions and declared that, “the goal is not as ambitious as Europe thinks it should be, but at the same time ICAO has recognised that some states may take more ambitious actions prior to 2020”.
The agreement includes a sector emissions ceiling at the 2020 level, despite growth in air traffic. The sector is also expected to strive towards (beginning in 2010) reducing fuel consumption by 2% a year until 2050, mainly through the use of more effective technology and the modernisation of air traffic control. The ICAO will play a coordinating role. The states involved in this agreement are obliged to send the organisation action plans for reaching these objectives. Countries or small carriers, however, whose market share is below 1% of the world market, will be exempt from this obligation and will be able to participate in the system on a voluntary basis. The resolution adopted by the assembly also recognises the important role of market-based measures, such as the ETS established by the EU, and allows Europe to put this mechanism into place as it so wishes. The resolution adopted also includes financial support for implementing technical and financial assistance for action taken by developing countries.
The Association of European Airlines (AEA) and the Association européenne de l'industrie aéronautique et de défense (ASD) welcomed the agreement. “This is a significant step ahead” by the governments, declared François Gayet, secretary general of the ASD, who also urged the EU to, “increase its support for research and development into new and greener technologies”. According to Gayet, speaking on behalf of the industry, the EU should, “prepare the ground for greater use of biofuels in aviation”. This support could come, in particular, from the Eighth Research Framework Programme.
The ICAO assembly also took a number of other decisions in the domains of aviation security and safety. On 28 September, on the sidelines of the first day of the session, Commissioner Kallas, speaking on behalf of the EU, signed (with the ICAO), US Federal Aviation Administration and the International Air Transport Association (IATA)], a memorandum of understanding on setting up a global security information exchange system. The assembly also approved an action plan for improving landing strip security and an investment action plan ($50 billion for the next 10 years) planned for infrastructure development. In another declaration adopted during the session, the ICAO also gave its support to efforts made by countries to improve safety scanning technology in airports and safety exchange in this area. The same declaration also included assistance for developing safety capacity for countries that needed it. (A.By./transl.fl)