October 11, (THEWILL) – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is strongly encouraged by the adoption of a Long Term Aspirational Goal (LTAG), to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 at the 41st Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
This important step forward by states aligns with both the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 resolution agreed upon by airlines at the 77th IATA Annual General Meeting in October 2021.
Commenting, IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh said “The significance of the LTAG agreement cannot be under-estimated. The aviation industry’s commitment to achieving net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 requires supportive government policies. Now that governments and industry are both focused on net zero by 2050, we expect much stronger policy initiatives in key areas of decarbonisation such as incentivising the production capacity of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).
“And the global determination to decarbonise aviation that underpins this agreement must follow the delegates home and lead to practical policy actions enabling all states to support the industry in the rapid progress that it is determined to make.”
The decision on a long-term goal at ICAO comes after intense negotiations bridging the different levels of development across the world. There was overwhelming support at the ICAO Assembly for the plan.
The Assembly also reinforced its commitment to the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and increased its ambition by agreeing to stabilise emissions of international aviation at 85% of the 2019 level.
In agreeing with this, many governments emphasised CORSIA’s role as the only economic measure applied to manage the carbon footprint of international aviation.
“The Assembly’s agreement strengthens CORSIA. The lower baseline will place a significantly greater cost burden on airlines. So, it is more critical than ever that governments do not chip away at the cement which bonds CORSIA as the only economic measure to manage the carbon footprint of international aviation. States must now honour, support and defend CORSIA against any proliferation of economic measures. These will only undermine CORSIA and the collective effort to decarbonise aviation”, Walsh added.
The industry expects Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to play the largest role in decarbonising aviation. IATA estimates that perhaps 65% of the mitigation needed for net zero emissions in 2050 will come from SAF. While the industry purchased all one hundred million litres of SAF in 2021, the supply remains limited and the price is far higher than conventional jet fuel.
“With LTAG in mind, state efforts should now be focused on ways to incentivise an increase in SAF production capacity and thereby reduce its cost. The tremendous progress made in many economies on the transition of electricity production to green sources such as solar power and wind is a shining example of what can be achieved with the right government policies, particularly production incentives”, said Walsh.
On implementation, Walsh emphasised that “Governments must not lose the momentum that has driven the outcomes of this assembly. The costs of decarbonising aviation are in the trillions of dollars and the timeline to transition to a global industry is long. With the right government policies, SAF could reach a tipping point in 2030 that will lead us to our net zero goal.
“By the next Assembly, the ‘aspirational’ characterisation of LTAG must be transformed into a firm goal with a clear plan of action. That means governments must work with industry to implement an effective global policy framework capable of attracting the financial resources needed to put aviation on an unstoppable track to achieve net zero by 2050. There is lots of work to do and not a minute to lose,” said Walsh.
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
