Industry and Countries Prepare for Introduction of CORSIA but "Much Work to Be Done"

(GreenAir Online) With just three months to go before all airlines with international flights must start monitoring their carbon emissions, ICAO’s CORSIA carbon offsetting scheme was centre stage at this year’s Global Sustainable Aviation Summit (GSAS) in Geneva organised by the industry’s Air Transport Action Group (ATAG). Marking 10 years since the industry announced its emissions reduction goals through to 2050, IATA Director General Alexandre de Juniac said flying was now 20% more efficient than a decade ago. He called on more governments to volunteer to join CORSIA and reaffirm it as the single global market-based measure for aviation emissions. This was backed by a senior FAA official who said continued US support for CORSIA was driven by a need to avoid a patchwork of national and regional measures, adding it was essential China took part in CORSIA.

Around 250 airlines are reported to have attended industry-organised CORSIA workshops this year, which ATAG Executive Director Michael Gill told delegates had demonstrated a high degree of readiness for the scheme’s introduction.

To meet the carbon-neutral growth from 2020 target of CORSIA, a global baseline of CO2 emissions from international aviation activity has to be established for the 2019-20 period. Airlines and aeroplane operators are required to submit an emissions monitoring plan to their national reporting authority ahead of the 1 January 2019 start. Governments must ensure these plans are signed off, are implementing a national regulatory framework and were ready to receive emissions reports when delivered, said Gill. “More work needs to be done in many parts of the world,” he noted.

To help countries prepare for CORSIA implementation, ICAO launched its Assistance, Capacity-building and Training (ACT-CORSIA) initiative in July. Around 90 States have been targeted to receive the necessary assistance under ACT-CORSIA ‘Buddy Partnerships’ from donor States (19 have volunteered so far), reported ICAO’s environment chief, Jane Hupe.

“During its next Session [29 October – 16 November], the Council will be considering the results of the testing of the criteria and processes relevant to the effective evaluation of projects which generate carbon credits.

“The second focus will be on CORSIA eligible fuels and work is now ongoing with respect to life-cycle emissions values, a robust verification framework and effective sustainability criteria.”

Sharing his government’s position on CORSIA in a workshop panel session, Kevin Welsh, Executive Director of the Office of Environment & Energy at the FAA, said the United States had continued to support the scheme, with avoiding a patchwork of national and regional measures being “the driving force”. He reminded delegates that the former Obama administration had passed a law that gave powers to prohibit US airlines joining the EU’s Emissions Trading System and which also called for the US to work through ICAO to negotiate a global measure.

The long-term industry climate goal of reducing carbon emissions to 50% of 2005 levels by 2050 (‘2050/minus 50’) will be an even greater challenge, IATA’s de Juniac told the conference.

“Progress in technology, operations and infrastructure – especially air traffic management – will match or better our fuel efficiency achievements of the past decade,” he said. “But our ‘2050/minus 50’ goal will test our resolve even more. We will not move forward on a consistent glide path, but we are on the right trajectory. The industry is ready for the next step-change in technology in the 2030s: hybrid and electric planes, and the large-scale roll-out of sustainable fuels.”

Michael Gill of ATAG said the target was for sustainable fuels to make up 2% of the industry’s total fuel consumption by 2025, which would act as a ‘tipping point’. However, he said, it would require a huge commitment by airlines, governments, academics and traditional fuel suppliers. READ MORE