AFRAA applauds historic agreement on International Aviation Emissions

Dr Elijah Chingosho said: “We applaud this deal that was struck after tense negotiations during the last few years. The 191 states and the various stakeholders including AFRAA, AFCAC and IATA worked very hard through the ICAO system and managed to find the necessary compromises to establish the first sectorial deal to reduce CO2 at global level. African airlines, the aviation industry, other stakeholders as well as African institutions have been consistently advocating a global solution under ICAO’s leadership for several years.”

This is the world’s first climate deal aimed at reducing global greenhouse gas emissions from international air travel. The deal was overwhelmingly approved on 06 October with 191 countries agreeing to a global market-based measure (GMBM) to control CO2 emissions from aviation.

The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) would complement a range of mitigation measures the air transport industry was already looking at to cut CO2 emissions which includes improved aircraft technology, efficient infrastructure, operational measures at airports and expanded use of sustainable alternative fuels. 

The GMBM will start from 2021 on with a pilot phase until 2023. In the following year, there will be a voluntary first phase until 2026. From 2027 on, the measure will be mandatory for all States, with some exemptions, such as for least developed countries, small island developing states, landlocked developing countries and states with very low levels of international aviation activity which virtually covers almost all African states which advocated differentiated treatment.