Stay Grounded network say new aviation climate declaration fails to reduce sector’s future emissions
An aviation climate declaration launched at COP26 on 10th November has failed to place any firm limits on future airport expansion, or growth in aviation demand. As part of the new “International Aviation Climate Ambition Coalition” (IACAC), member states that signed up have committed to working together, they say, to reduce aviation CO2 emissions in line with the aim to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5°C. But sustainable transport network Stay Grounded said the declaration will not substantially contribute to aligning the aviation sector with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C limit. The proposed techno-fixes (electric aircraft, hydrogen, biofuels or e-fuels) will not cut emissions, if the sector expands. As well as preventing the construction of more airport infrastructure, and measures to encourage behaviour change, there need to be taxes on jet fuel and bans on short-haul flights. Mira Kapfinger, of Stay Grounded said: “Far-off targets for 2050 are not worth the paper they are written on … Relying on CORSIA to reduce flight emissions is like waiting for flying pigs. It simply does not work…. the commitments in the declaration are neither new nor ambitious”.
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COP26 aviation commitment fails to limit further airport expansions
11 NOV, 2021
BY CATHERINE KENNEDY (New Civil Engineer)
An aviation climate declaration launched at COP26 yesterday has failed to place any firm limits on future airport expansions.
As part of the International Aviation Climate Ambition Coalition (IACAC), member states have committed to working together to reduce aviation CO2 emissions in line with the aim to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5°C.
They have also committed to supporting specific measures to reduce aviation emissions including sustainable aviation fuels, the CORSIA global offsetting scheme and new aircraft technologies.
However sustainable transport network Stay Grounded said the declaration will not substantially contribute to aligning the aviation sector with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C limit.
Stay Grounded spokesperson Mira Kapfinger said that instead of the proposed new technologies – such as electric aircraft, hydrogen, biofuels or e-fuels – what is needed is bans on airport expansions and the promotion of alternatives such as rail.
Other key requirements are taxes on jet fuel and bans on short-haul flights.
“Far-off targets for 2050 are not worth the paper they are written on,” Kapfinger said. “We need strong emission reduction targets by 2030 to bring aviation in line with Paris. And we cannot achieve these without finally taxing aviation and additional regulations such as a halt to aviation infrastructure expansion and demand reduction measures.
“Relying on CORSIA to reduce flight emissions is like waiting for flying pigs. It simply does not work. The same goes for the ‘new low- and zero-carbon aircraft technologies’ mentioned in the IACAC declaration. By 2050, we will still be flying overwhelmingly with today’s aircraft – so flights need to be reduced as much as possible.”
Discussion has been ongoing regarding limiting airport expansions. Last year the Climate Change Committee said that any increase in airport capacity would need to be matched by restrictions at other airports to ensure no ‘net increase’,
The Aviation Environment Federation (AEF) said yesterday’s IACAC declaration is a “useful initiative”, but emphasised that international action should not be a substitute for domestic target setting and measures. The organisation said that “to avoid retuning to the pre-pandemic trajectory flight numbers will need to be limited”.
It has identified four key points that it says the government needs to commit to. These are less flying, ending airport expansion, making airlines accountable for their emissions and getting airlines to invest in “genuine” zero carbon tech and fuels.
The AEF added: “The Climate Change Committee has recommended no net airport expansion in the UK, highlighting that enough capacity exists already to meet the maximum level of aviation demand it considers compatible with achieving net zero.”
In addition, the AEF said that financial incentive might be needed.
“Currently fuel for international flights is untaxed and most carbon emissions from flying bear no financial penalty,” the organisation said.
“To overcome some of the hurdles to developing the zero carbon technologies needed for this sector either airlines will need to start putting in some serious money, or governments will need to start charging hefty penalties for emissions. Or both.”
Overall, Mira Kapfinger said the commitments in the declaration are “neither new nor ambitious”.
She said: “The initiative does not address the elephant in the room: the growth of air traffic, which is closely linked to higher climate pollution. More flights mean more emissions – that’s why any serious climate deal for aviation must include measures to reduce air traffic in rich countries.
Kapfinger emphasised that the IACAC “relies on the same strategies that have been proven not to work for years such as offsets and the wait for technological solutions that will not be ready for decades”.
She added: “While most offsets have been shown not to reduce emissions, ‘sustainable aviation fuels’ are neither available at scale nor without harmful side effects. We cannot wait for technical solutions. The time to act is now – we are in a climate emergency!”
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COP26 Aviation Deal Fails to Align Sector with Paris Agreement Goals
From the Stay Grounded network
November 10, 2021
- The International Aviation Climate Ambition Coalition (IACAC) is hugely disappointing and ineffective in reducing aviation emissions.
- Instead of advancing effective measures such as taxes on aviation fuel and halting airport expansion, it reiterates ineffective strategies such as emissions compensation and far-off technologies.
- Stay Grounded welcomes the plan detailed by the hoax IACAC.uk initiative that shows what ambitious goals would look like
Glasgow/Vienna, November 10th 2021
The global Stay Grounded Network strongly criticises the International Aviation Climate Ambition Coalition (IACAC) presented today by the British Presidency at COP26.
The agreement brings nothing new, it is neither ambitious nor will it substantially contribute to aligning the aviation sector with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 degree limit. The IACAC reiterates already known and ineffective strategies such as the hope for technological leaps as well as betting on the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) dysfunctional ‘CORSIA’ offsetting scheme.
“IACAC’s commitments are neither new nor ambitious. The initiative does not address the elephant in the room: the growth of air traffic, which is closely linked to higher climate pollution. More flights mean more emissions – that’s why any serious climate deal for aviation must include measures to reduce air traffic in rich countries,” said Stay Grounded spokesperson Mira Kapfinger.
“IACAC relies on the same strategies that have been proven not to work for years such as offsets and the wait for technological solutions that will not be ready for decades. While most offsets have been shown not to reduce emissions, ‘sustainable aviation fuels’ are neither available at scale nor without harmful side effects. We cannot wait for technical solutions. The time to act is now – we are in a climate emergency!”
The signatory countries – including the UK, the United States, Canada, France and Japan – recognise the climate impact of non-CO2 emissions. Yet these are not addressed in the Commitments.
“This initiative is one big missed opportunity. This includes the failure to finally account for both CO2 emissions and non-CO2 effects within the framework of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of the signatory states. This would be the necessary basis for honest climate action in the aviation sector,” said Daniela Subtil from Stay Grounded.
Another disastrous sign is the lack of intermediate targets in the agreement. IACAC only reiterates the distant industry commitment to net zero CO2 emissions by 2050.
“Far-off targets for 2050 are not worth the paper they are written on. We need strong emission reduction targets by 2030 to bring aviation in line with Paris. And we cannot achieve these without finally taxing aviation and additional regulations such as a halt to aviation infrastructure expansion and demand reduction measures.
“Relying on CORSIA to reduce flight emissions is like waiting for flying pigs. It simply does not work. The same goes for the ‘new low- and zero-carbon aircraft technologies’ mentioned in the IACAC declaration. By 2050, we will still be flying overwhelmingly with today’s aircraft – so flights need to be reduced as much as possible,” said Mira Kapfinger.
As Stay Grounded analyses show, none of the touted technologies such as electric aircraft, hydrogen, biofuels or e-fuels can significantly reduce emissions in the next decades without unleashing huge negative side effects. “What we need instead are finally taxes on jet fuel, bans on short-haul flights and airport expansions, and the promotion of alternatives to air traffic such as rail,” Kapfinger concludes.
At the same time as the IACAC announcement, a website of the same name was launched, which turned out to be a hoax. https://www.iacac.uk/ Unfortunately – because the commitments presented on this site are much more in line with what would be needed for a climate-friendly transformation of air transport.
Stay Grounded welcomes the demands presented there and laments the huge difference in ambition between the real IACAC deal and the fake one.
Stay Grounded is a global network representing 180 member organisations campaigning for a reduction of air traffic and a climate-just mobility system, including local and national airport and climate campaign groups.
Press contact:
Stay Grounded: Manuel Grebenjak
Email: press@stay-grounded.org
Phone: +43 699 17238755
https://stay-grounded.org/cop26-aviation-deal-fails-to-align-sector-with-paris-agreement-goals/
Further information:
- 5 new fact sheets explain current technological promises’ flaws: efficiency, biofuels, e-fuels, electric flights and hydrogen
- Stay Grounded’s petition against aviation greenwashing backed by 68 organisations including Friends of the Earth International
- Stay Grounded’s actions against greenwashing of aviation last weekend including photos: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmX4uJRg
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See also:
The alternative (hoax) “International Aviation Carbon Ambition Coalition” website – what the real one should say !
Persons unknown have taken the opportunity of the launch by the government at COP26, of a new grouping called the International Aviation Carbon Ambition Coalition”, to provide a (sadly, spoof….) website for the organisation. The website, IACAC, has the sorts of commitments the real organisation should – and does not – propose or commit to. Some of the hoax commitments are, in summary: 1. Halve air traffic emissions departing from signatory countries by 2030, from 2005 levels. 2. Include emissions from flight departures (both domestic and international) within signatory country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). 3. Introduce a minimum jet fuel tax of €0.33 per litre. 4. Not use carbon offsetting as an emissions reduction measure. and 5. Ban crop-based aviation biofuel. This involves the commitment to strengthen CORSIA’s sustainability criteria for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). These are the sorts of changes that ICAO and global organisations responsible for the aviation industry and its climate impact, should be starting work on.
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UK-led COP aviation declaration – “International Aviation Climate Ambition Coalition” (IACAC) – too weak to clean up flying
The “International Aviation Climate Ambition Coalition” (IACAC) has been launched by the UK government at the COP26 climate change summit. Its declaration is too weak to reduce flying’s climate impact. It relies too much on ICAO’s CORSIA scheme to try to limit some aviation emissions. The number of global air passengers and cargo is expected to increase significantly over the next few decades, but the CORSIA scheme will be ineffective, and airlines are resistant to measures that would reduce demand for flights. At least now the UK has included international aviation in its national carbon target, which means cuts (or net reductions) will have to be made – but most countries have not even done that. The text of the IACAC merely contains non-committal statements such as “supporting”, “taking steps”, “working together”, “ensuring”, “advancing”, “promoting” and “convening.” One commitment is: “Promoting the development and deployment, through international and national measures, of sustainable aviation fuels that reduce lifecycle emissions …avoiding competition with food production for land use and water supply.”
Click here to view full story…
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