Business aviation bodies including the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) have applauded the new ‘ACT CORSIA’ capacity-building initiative adopted recently by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Council.
Scheduled for implementation in January 2019, the Carbon Offsetting Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), a series of technical rules for the measurement and reporting of carbon emissions from aircraft aims to cap worldwide carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from aviation. Hence, international operators emitting more than 10,000 metric tons of CO2 annually on flights between approximately 74 participating nations will be required to purchase carbon credits to offset growth above 2020 CO2 levels.
IBAC says that the CORSIA will help operators mitigate and reduce their carbon emissions from international flights as part of a broader strategy to address emissions through innovative technologies, including sustainable alternative fuels, operational improvements, and infrastructure modernization. “This is a major step to the implementation of CORSIA, and we commend ICAO for adopting the SARPs package at an accelerated pace,” says Mr. Kurt Edwards, Director General of IBAC.
Mr. Steve Brown, Chief Operating Officer, NBAA, notes that the Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) represent the logical progression of steps necessary for the implementation of CORSIA, and pose no significant changes from prior ICAO guidance for the industry.
Mr. Brown says that the NBAA is pleased to see this process continue to unfold in line with expectations. He believes the policy is useful and helpful to operators. “Our industry remains committed to demonstrating good environmental stewardship, and NBAA will continue our involvement in this process through IBAC as development continues,” he adds.
ICAO Secretary General, Dr. Fang Liu stresses that the ACT CORSIA objectives cannot be achieved solely by the ICAO Secretariat. She calls on States and members of the aviation industry to commit to it in order to ensure that the CORSIA goals and objectives are fully met.
Also, Mr. Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO, states that ten years ago, the entire aviation sector committed to a joint strategy for carbon-neutral growth and to work towards a carbon-free future. “That was a daring goal. But with hard work and solid commitment of industry and government, carbon-neutral growth from 2020 will be a reality. And we are already looking beyond. By 2050 we will cut our net emissions to half 2005 levels,” he says.