WWF: ICAO forgoes immediate emissions reductions for only promise of a future global plan
In their response to the disappointing outcome of the ICAO negotiations on curbing global aviation emissions, WWF said ICAO had missed the opportunity to start reducing emissions immediately. They have only committed to possibly agree an MBM in 2016, to come into effect in 2020. There is no guarantee they will agree it. This means little will be done before 2020. WWF said the science is clearer than ever – and 2020 is too late. Jean Leston, Transport Policy Officer of WWF-UK, said: “The world has waited 16 years for ICAO to demonstrate its serious commitment to reducing aviation emissions. What we got today seems a very small return for that effort. We expect a lot more ambition and commitment from ICAO over the next three years if a global, market-based mechanism is ever going to materialize. …..By essentially restricting the EU’s ETS for aviation to its own carriers and airspace, ICAO has handicapped the world’s leading legislation to put a price on aviation pollution and once again allowed skyrocketing emissions to continue climbing.” With the IPCC saying we need to cut CO2, leaders need to be taking every opportunity to do so.
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WWF: ICAO Forgoes Immediate Emissions Reductions for Promise of a Future Global Plan
MONTREAL (October 4, 2013)
Delegates to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) today promised to start work on developing a global, market based measure (MBM) to reduce aviation emissions beginning in 2020, but in doing so missed the opportunity to start reducing emissions immediately and contribute to closing the ambition gap before 2020.
“The science is clearer than ever – 2020 is too late,” said Samantha Smith, WWF leader of the Global Climate & Energy Initiative. “Right after the recent IPCC release, this was the first chance for governments in ICAO to take decisive action, and they failed.”
“The world has waited 16 years for ICAO to demonstrate its serious commitment to reducing aviation emissions,” said Jean Leston, Transport Policy Officer of WWF-UK. “What we got today seems a very small return for that effort. We expect a lot more ambition and commitment from ICAO over the next three years if a global, market-based mechanism is ever going to materialize.”
“While ICAO delegates and the airline industry will be crowing about the significant progress they have made this week, the reality is that today’s decision does nothing to reduce emissions in the short term. By essentially restricting the EU’s Emissions Trading System for aviation to its own carriers and airspace, ICAO has handicapped the world’s leading legislation to put a price on aviation pollution and once again allowed skyrocketing emissions to continue climbing.”
“Today’s decision commits delegates only to the possibility of an MBM agreement in by 2016. There is no guarantee. At a time when the world’s leading climate scientists are telling us that that climate change is real and is happening faster than expected, international leaders must capitalize on every immediate opportunity to ratchet down emissions.”
http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/press_centre/?uNewsID=6831
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see also
EU Emissions Trading System reduced to only intra-European flights
Date added: October 4, 2013
The EU was defeated in its efforts to have ICAO recognise its right to continue charging aviation in its own market-based mechanism, the ETS. Earlier this month the EU offered to exclude emissions emitted outside EU airspace from being covered by the ETS in exchange for a deal at ICAO. Even this did not happen. “ICAO is going even beyond what the Chicago Convention allows,” said Bill Hemmings of campaign group T&E. “They’re telling the EU what it can do in its own airspace.” A spokesperson for the Commission said the EU would have to consider its next steps. Any change to the ETS scope, whether to exclude non-EU airspace or to go further and exclude all foreign airlines, would need approval from member states and the European Parliament. The European aviation industry would be likely to fiercely resist any move to exclude foreign airlines but leave them included, as it would raise competitiveness concerns. Green MEPs reacted with dismay to the ICAO outcome. “The international aviation organisation (ICAO) is both seeking to block EU action and once more stalling on urgently-needed international measures”. Click here to view full story…
Weak ICAO aviation emissions deal with action delayed till at least 2016 strikes harsh blow to EU ETS
Date added: October 4, 2013
The ICAO talks in Montreal are now closed. ICAO cobbled together a weak resolution, that lays the foundation for a Market Based Measure (MBM) perhaps some time in future. This is to be brought to the next ICAO Assembly in 2016. ie more years of delay. The resolution states that, if an agreement on a global MBM is decided upon at the next Assembly, it must be implemented by 2020 – the year after which any growth within the industry must be carbon neutral. Jean Leston, Transport Policy Manager at WWF-UK, said: “There is nothing in this resolution that guarantees an MBM. All we’ve got is a decision to develop one over the next 3 years and then that has to go to Assembly for agreement in 2016.” Bill Hemmings, aviation manager at Transport & Environment, said, “The EU put its faith in the ICAO process, and because of unacceptable weakening and delay, this faith has now been shattered.” The ICAO agreement has also decimated the EU’s ETS, which has been reduced to the bare minimum. The EU can now only impose its ETS on flights that both depart and land from within its own airspace. For aircraft emissions emitted in EU airspace by planes that have come from outside the EU, this can only be done with the consent of the other country. Click here to view full story…
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And from ATW (Air Transport World):
4.10.2013
“The agreement also puts in place a fair and equitable solution that respects the special circumstances and respective capabilities in which a number of countries find themselves. Aviation accounts for 3% of global CO2 emissions but ICAO statistics show that international aviation CO2 emissions are forecast to increase between four and six times by 2050 from the levels of 2010.”
EC VP Transport Siim Kallas said, “Faced with a huge responsibility, this Assembly has set the agenda for world aviation for the years to come. The EU can take pride in our role in the achievements in all areas ranging from safety, to security, air traffic management and economic regulation. On aviation emissions, this is a landmark deal. It is good news for the travelling public, good news for the aviation industry and most importantly it is good news for the planet.”
The ICAO emissions resolution permits countries or groups of countries, within certain parameters, to deploy their own MBMs in the interim if they choose. But it prevents the EU from expanding its ETS to include foreign carriers until the global scheme is in place, a contentious issue that the EC appears to have backed away from as a concession to enabling a global aviation MBM scheme.
http://atwonline.com/eco-aviation/icao-assembly-reaches-aviation-emissions-accord
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