The Council President of the International Civil Aviation Organization, Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, delivered a message on behalf of its Member States and the air transport sector to the COP21 in Paris today, during the Plenary of the UNFCCC"™s Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA).
"While international aviation accounts for 1.3 per cent of global man-made CO2 emissions, ICAO Member States and the aviation industry continue to take concrete actions to reduce emissions from international aviation," stressed President Aliu. "These include more efficient air traffic management and other operational improvements, the use of fuel-efficient aircraft technologies, and the deployment of sustainable alternative fuels for aviation."
The 39th ICAO Assembly in 2016 will consider a recommendation for a global Market-based Measure (MBM) scheme for international aviation that addresses its key design elements, as well as the related implementation mechanisms from 2020. The development of a new global CO2 certification Standard for aircraft is also well on track for adoption through ICAO in 2016.
Emphasizing a recent Declaration issued by the ICAO Council on 18 November, President Aliu highlighted in his statement that States require adequate capacity building and financial resources to address CO2 emissions from international aviation.
"ICAO and its Member States wish to express a clear concern, through the UNFCCC process, on the use of international aviation as a potential source for the mobilization of revenue for climate finance to the other sectors," he remarked. "In close cooperation with the aviation industry and other international organizations, ICAO will continue to provide continuous leadership to international civil aviation with respect to limiting and reducing emissions which contribute to global climate change."
President Aliu met with UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres after the SBSTA Plenary, expressing his encouragement at the two bodie"™ close and productive cooperation. He also raised the ICAO Council"™s points with the chairs of the SBSTA, its Ad Hoc working group on the Durban Platform, and the main groups of States under the UNFCCC.
ICAO will be convening a side event at COP21 tomorrow to highlight its expectations and provide concrete insights into the successful strategy and initiatives it has pursued to assist the development and implementation of Member State"™ Action Plans to reduce aviation CO2 emissions, in cooperation with Governments, other UN bodies and the aviation industry.
