ICAO launched a series of regional outreach and education sessions as negotiations continue towards the adoption of a global climate agreement for air transport.
The regional events, under the title global aviation dialogues (GLADs), are a key part of the agency"™s work in the lead up to the ICAO Assembly in September.
The aviation industry, represented by the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), has been advocating for a market-based measure in the form of a mandatory global offsetting scheme.
ATAG executive director, Michael Gill, says that the global aviation dialogues are a vital tool to help build consensus amongst governments.
"In 2009, the aviation sector became one of the first to develop a global climate framework, based on three goals and underpinned by four pillars of climate action,» he says.
"The development of a global carbon offsetting scheme for aviation is crucial if aviation is to meet its climate obligations, whilst also continuing to meet the economic and connectivity growth desired by many countries around the world.
«The successful Paris Agreement on climate change provided positive momentum for discussions at ICAO, which already has its own mandate and well-established programme for addressing aviation and climate change."
The GLADs continue what has been over two years of intense discussions, with negotiators trying to find the balance between environmental and political acceptability…
