Eco-Aviation Channel

ICAO sets 2% fuel improvement goal for airline industry; reaffirms role ahead of UN climate summit

By Perry Flint
Eco-Aviation Today, October 12, 2009, p.1

ICAO concluded its High Level Meeting on International Aviation and Climate Change Friday with a reaffirmation that the organization is the preferred channel to address aviation's impact on the environment ahead of the upcoming UN Copenhagen Climate Summit in December. But it stopped short of adopting all of the recommendations contained in a working paper submitted by IATA, Airports Council International, Civil Air Navigation Services Organization and the International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Assns. (ATWOnline, Oct. 8) ).

The largest difference is that ICAO adopted a target of a "global annual average fuel efficiency improvement of 2%" for the airline industry through 2020 and "an aspirational global fuel efficiency improvement rate of 2% per annum in the long term from 2021 to 2050, calculated on the basis of volume of fuel used per RTK performed."

IATA's position and the one adopted by the stakeholder group was for a 1.5% improvement through 2020 with carbon neutral growth thereafter. Speaking to reporters by telephone on Oct. 10, IATA DG Giovanni Bisignani said that the document "delivers nearly everything we wanted" but made it clear that governments must fill the 0.5% gap in fuel efficiency between IATA and ICAO: "To cover the gap, government has some homework to do," he said, through air traffic management improvements and supporting biofuel development. He specifically identified FAA's NextGen program, Single European Sky and the Pearl River Delta as ATM projects that are key to meeting the 2% efficiency improvement.

ICAO also did not adopt industry's proposal for "carbon neutral growth" from 2020, with a net reduction in emissions of 50% by 2050 compared to 2005, favoring instead a continued 2% yearly fuel efficiency improvement.

In a statement, Bisignani said, "It is ironic that industry is setting tougher targets for itself than its regulators are prepared to require. But, our common goal is to effectively address climate change. That means reducing emissions. The challenge is to work together to close this gap by the next ICAO Assembly in September 2010."

ICAO also did not move forward on economic issues such as carbon taxes or cap-and-trade but agreed to "establish a process to develop a framework for market-based measures in international aviation. . .with a view to complet[ing] this process expeditiously." Nor did it specifically commit to the "global sectoral approach" sought by the airline industry. It did agree to explore "the feasibility of goals of more ambition" including "carbon-neutral growth and emissions reductions." It left open the possibility of addressing such issues at the 2010 general assembly.

In a statement, ICAO Council President Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez stated that "the nations of the world that represent the vast majority of international civil aviation traffic have spoken and their commitment is clear."

"We took a step in the right direction, toward a global sectoral approach, but there is still a lot of ground to cover. As a united industry, we remain committed to the ambitious environmental targets that we brought to this meeting," IATA stated.

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