The historic move came as the Plenary Session of the UN aviation agency’s 39th Assembly agreed to recommend adoption of a final Resolution text for the GMBM.
“It has taken a great deal of effort and understanding to reach this stage, and I want to applaud the spirit of consensus and compromise demonstrated by our Member States, industry and civil society,” remarked ICAO Council President Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu. “We now have practical agreement and consensus on this issue backed by a large number of States who will voluntarily participate in the GMBM – and from its outset. This will permit the CORSIA to serve as a positive and sustainable contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions reduction.”
ICAO’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) is designed to complement the basket of mitigation measures the air transport community is already pursuing to reduce CO2 emissions from international aviation. These include technical and operational improvements and advances in the production and use of sustainable alternative fuels for aviation.
Implementation of the CORSIA will begin with a pilot phase from 2021 through 2023, followed by a first phase, from 2024 through 2026. Participation in both of these early stages will be voluntary and the next phase from 2027 to 2035 would see all States on board. Some exemptions were accepted for Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and States with very low levels of international aviation activity.
“I would like to thank all those who have been part of this process”, said Dr. Fang Liu, Secretary General of ICAO. “This Resolution is the reflection of the spirit of cooperation and tremendous efforts. The ICAO GMBM endorsed today is an important addition to the basket of measures aviation is pursuing to address CO2 emissions.”
The European Commission welcomed the agreement reached by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to curb CO2 emissions from international aviation.
Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc said: "This unprecedented agreement opens a new chapter in international aviation, where sustainability finally becomes part of the way we fly. Europe has been continuously advocating global and coordinated action to address the growth of aviation emissions which was otherwise set to reach 300% by 2050. Today European solidarity and perseverance has delivered.
"This is the first-ever global agreement to address CO2 emissions in a specific sector of the economy. From 2021, flights between 65 states – including all EU countries - will be covered by a Global Market-Based Measure (GMBM) to offset CO2 emissions. Others will come on-board during the mandatory phase in 2027.
"Around 80% of the emissions above 2020 levels will be offset by the scheme between 2021 and 2035. It contains a strong review clause that will ensure that we are regularly given the chance to improve the GMBM and make it more robust and ambitious, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. This deal is a decisive step towards the carbon neutral growth of aviation. I hope that others will follow, particularly the shipping sector.
"We have now set a process in motion, which will not be reversed. And yet, it is not 'Mission Accomplished'. Over the next two years, ICAO will lay out the technical rules of the GMBM, and we will remain vigilant that it lives up to our expectations and is well implemented. The EU will offer its financial and technical assistance, so that no country is left behind.
"The Commission will soon present a report to the European Parliament and the Council on the outcome reached at ICAO, in the context of the EU Emissions Trading System for aviation."
The full Commission statement is available here.
However, Transport & Environment (T&E) was less positive, saying that the deal’s coverage of emissions falls "well short of the ‘carbon neutral growth in 2020’ target promised by UN aviation body ICAO and industry".
Speaking in Montreal, T&E Aviation Director Bill Hemmings said: “Airline claims that flying will now be green are a myth. Taking a plane is the fastest and cheapest way to fry the planet and this deal won’t reduce demand for jet fuel one drop, instead, it will offset aims to cut emissions in other industries.”
Green climate spokesperson Bas Eickhout, who attended the final deliberations in Montreal, said: "Today, ICAO has agreed a deal that does not reach their target to limit net carbon dioxide emissions from international aviation to 2020 levels. Big economies India and Russia are not part of the final agreement.
"It is a meagre deal. We need to do much more than offsetting the growth in emissions: they have to be reduced. But with participation due to be voluntary until 2027, the carbon neutral objective will not even be achieved. The lack of sufficient safeguards for the eligible offsets casts doubt on the environmental integrity of the scheme. All countries should take part from the beginning and in order to do so developed countries should be going much further than today’s agreement. At the pace set today, we stand little chance of avoiding dangerous levels of climate change.
"At the same time we have to accept that achieving a more ambitious deal was simply not feasible without excluding more countries. Today’s deal is a step in the right direction. However, it must be absolutely clear that this is merely a floor from which we will need to make further progress. It is essential that regions such as the EU go beyond what has been agreed upon. Crucially, this means that all international flights from and to the EU should fall under our emission trading system from 2017 onwards as planned.
"It was good to see at ICAO that the world is changing. Three years ago, when the EU proposed an international emission trading scheme, we were completely isolated. In the last two weeks, we have seen a different picture. African and South American countries in particular have shown willingness to negotiate and be ambitious: that promises a better future. EU negotiators were too traumatized by the past but they have to recognize that times have changed. Let this be a lesson for next time."
