Carbon reduction and offsets for international flights would
be voluntary, not mandatory, over the next decade under a proposal the United
Nations' International Civil Aviation Organization will consider later this
month.
The draft before the ICAO, under
development since 2013, calls for airlines to cap carbon emissions on
international flights at 2020 levels beginning in 2021. Carriers can either
reduce their emissions or offset them by buying credits that finance
conservation projects that in turn reduce emissions. Participation, however, won't
become mandatory until 2027.
The International Air Transport Association, which
represents 265 airlines, had pushed for carbon-neutral growth to be mandatory from
the onset. "The aviation industry would have preferred a more ambitious
timeline," IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac said in a
statement. "However, what is most important is that the substance of the
negotiating text will allow for meaningful management of aviation's carbon
footprint. Airlines support it and urge governments to agree when they meet at
ICAO." The 191 member states will gather for the ICAO Assembly Sept. 26 in
Montreal.
Several countries—including the United States, China,
Canada, Indonesia, Mexico, the Marshall Islands and 44 countries in Europe—have
indicated they would participate during the voluntary period, according to de
Juniac.
"Airlines are investing heavily in new
technology, the development of sustainable alternative fuels and operational
efficiency," he continued. "Our message to the states attending the
ICAO Assembly is that they must match our efforts."