The airline and aerospace industry are looking with great anticipation at Montreal in the next two weeks, where the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) holds its 41st Assembly from September 27 until October 7. On top of the agenda of the 193 states is establishing a clear Long-Term Aspirational Goal (LTAG) on how to reduce carbon emissions. But will it go beyond resolutions and just words on paper? ICAO Assembly is all about net zero.
Preparatory work for the Assembly has already been concluded in July when during another ICAO meeting, ministers and officials urged countries to support the LTAG of net-zero carbon emissions in 2050. In the coming two weeks, many discussions and negotiations should result in a solid long-term strategic plan that has the full support of as many countries as possible. This requires progress to be made on two topics: the CORSIA offsetting scheme and the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).
Stricter targets for 2050
The last ICAO Assembly was in 2019 and confirmed emission reduction targets, preferably through improvements in aircraft technology, operational improvements, and the widespread introduction of SAF. This week’s ICAO Assembly comes after the industry’s deepest crisis ever: the Covid pandemic. Airlines were focused on survival and in this situation it was easy to forget that there was another urgent problem to be addressed: climate change. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) made it clear this summer that climate change is ever-more evident. It called for real action to reduce greenhouse emissions if global warming is to be reduced to 1.5 degrees Celsius in 2050.
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