Global aviation companies agreed to reduce aircraft carbon emissions to address the growing predicament of global warming. At a meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal, Canada, members of the aviation industry representing countries across the globe agreed to new standards and binding limits on carbon dioxide emissions from aircrafts.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calls for strengthening of the bond and commends the first step to reduce carbon emissions from air travel. He calls for further consolidation of the standards as quickly as possible.
The proposal, which would be implemented to develop new commercial and business airliners which have reduced carbon emissions by 2028, comes after the Paris agreement aimed to reduce the effects of climate change to the environment.
"Carbon emissions from aviation are growing rapidly, with the number of flights worldwide expected to double in the next 15 years. The ICAO's new rules come after years of negotiations and are the first time that governments have set emissions standards for the aviation industry," U.N. Secretary-General's website stated.
If the proposal will be fully implemented, carbon emissions will be reduced by more than 650 million tons from 2020 to 2040. That is equivalent to the removal of over 140 million cars from the streets for a year.
The aviation industry is one of the biggest contributors to climate change. Across the globe, aircrafts emit about 11 percent of carbon emissions from transportation. If there will be no actions implemented to address the problem, emissions from commercial aircrafts are projected to increase by nearly 50 percent.
The new standards by the Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP), would be adopted by aviation companies for new aircraft type designed as of 2020.
"It is particularly encouraging that the CAEP's recommendation today responds so directly to the aircraft technology improvements which States have forged consensus on at recent ICAO Assemblies," Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, President of the ICAO Council, said.
"Every step taken in support of ICAO's full basket of measures for environmental improvement is an important one, and I am sure the Council will be deeply appreciative of the this latest CAEP achievement," he added.
The goal of the proposal is to make sure that the next generation of aircrafts would contain new technology that is efficient and has reduced carbon emissions. ICAO is due to finalize a market-based mechanism for all airlines later this year. The agreement shows that international efforts are being exerted to implement global market-based approaches to reduce emissions that contribute to global warming.
Photo: Joao Carlos Medau | Flickr
