The United Nations aviation agency has agreed on a plan to
limit greenhouse gas emissions beginning in 2021.
The plan, which was six years in the making, will require
carbon-neutral growth for the large majority of the world’s air carriers, including commercial and cargo airlines.
Air carriers that see emissions rise above 2020 levels would
have to purchase carbon-offset credits to mitigate that increase. The
regulations won’t apply to domestic air travel, which is regulated
nation-by-nation.
The plan, known as the Carbon Offset and Reduction Scheme
for International Aviation (CORSIA), was approved by the 191-member
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montreal after nearly two
weeks of fevered discussions, much of it addressing concerns about fairness
from developing nations, whose growth in the aviation sector is expected to be
the most robust in the coming decades.
Its implementation will begin with a voluntary phase lasting
from 2021 to 2027.
More than 65 countries, representing close to 85% of
international aviation activity, have so far agreed to participate in that
phase. Among those participants will be the U.S., and members of the EU,
according to the ICAO.
The mandatory phase of the emissions plan will last from
2028 to 2035. All nations, with the exception of a few especially poor states,
will be required to participate at that time.
Aviation accounts for approximately 2% of global greenhouse
gas emissions. However, it was left out of the UN’s broader Paris climate
change accord, which went into effect Wednesday.
In a statement Thursday, U.S. secretary of transportation
Anthony Foxx praised CORSIA, noting that international aviation is expected to
grow at approximately 5% per year after 2020.
“The measure is structured in a way that is both pragmatic
and has a high-level of emissions reduction, including an approach to phase-in
countries to encourage the broadest participation possible,” Foxx said.
“Moreover, it provides flexibility to countries that have limited capacity or
that need technical assistance to participate.”
The Environmental Protection Agency has said it will begin the
process of drafting emissions standards for domestic U.S. flying in March and
that it expects those standards to be at least as stringent as the ICAO rules.
The aviation emissions deal also drew support from airline
industry trade organizations IATA and Airlines for America.
“This agreement ensures that the aviation industry’s
economic and social contributions are matched with cutting-edge efforts on
sustainability,” said IATA CEO Alexandre de Juniac.
Some environmental groups, including the Environmental
Defense Fund, also supported the deal.
“The agreement is not perfect — few
are. But it does provide a vital basis for moving forward,” the EDF said in a
statement. “The first key step will be developing strong standards to ensure
transparency, environmental integrity, and even broader participation.”