A push by ICAO and some of its members to set quantity and reduction targets for alternative aviation fuels such as biofuels, was rejected at a major conference convened by ICAO in Mexico City in October. 25 countries, many from Europe, refused to back the UN agency’s originally proposed ‘2050 Vision on Sustainable Aviation Fuels’ that included volume-based targets for 2025, 2040 and 2050. The International Coalition for Sustainable Aviation, of which T&E is a member, said the targets were selected based on poor analysis, and grossly overestimated the environmental benefits and potential emissions reductions.
Receive them directly in your inbox. Delivered once a week.
A coalition spokesperson said: ‘In the early phases of sustainable alternative fuel development, the international aviation sector should continue to prioritize the sustainability and emissions reductions of those fuels, rather than the quantity as eventually recognized in the final Declaration. Producing alternative fuels at scale globally is inherently risky and should be approached with caution.
‘Aviation is a top-ten global polluter and emissions are only expected to increase. In our view, the 2050 ICAO Vision on Sustainable Aviation Fuels should primarily inspire innovation and technological breakthroughs at a level required to meet the challenge of mitigating international aviation’s climate impact.’
EU walks back on aviation climate law on non-CO2
The EU Commission bows to pressure from legacy airlines to exclude long-haul flights from the scope of an aviation emissions monitoring scheme, which ...
T&E's reaction to Ursula von de Leyen’s election as European Commission president for a second five-year term
Can living near an airport make you ill?
Aviation’s health effects on populations near airports