China, India, Russia and South Africa Express Concern that GMBM Proposals Do Not Address Differentiation

(GreenAir Online) The 2016 round of ICAO’s Global Aviation Dialogues (GLADs) to provide Member States with information and receive feedback on developing a global market-based measure (GMBM) to address carbon emissions from international aviation has concluded in Mexico City. ... In an unusual move, China, India, South Africa and the Russian Federation issued a joint statement during the GLADs to express their concern that the current proposal did not adequately reflect the differentiation between developed and developing countries, and questioned the scheme’s carbon-neutral goal.

The number of delegates attending the GLADs was higher than that for the first round in 2015 but the number of States represented, according to reports, was well down, with less than a third of Member States participating. However, those States that did attend were responsible for nearly three-quarters of international aviation traffic.

Discussions appear to have centred around three key elements of the carbon offsetting scheme’s proposals contained in the latest draft Assembly Resolution text, namely the criteria as to which States should be included in the scheme, action to minimise market distortion between airlines and how offsetting responsibilities should be distributed. Feedback was also sought from States on whether key considerations raised by 2015 participants for the scheme’s design – such as administrative simplicity, environmental integrity and cost effectiveness – had been addressed in the proposals. Topics also under discussion included the possible means for differentiation without discrimination among States and the assistance and capacity-building that may be needed to support the GMBM scheme’s effective implementation. READ MORE