{"id":19728,"date":"2019-09-25T18:28:51","date_gmt":"2019-09-25T23:28:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/?p=19728"},"modified":"2019-09-25T18:31:03","modified_gmt":"2019-09-25T23:31:03","slug":"three-opportunities-for-the-uns-aviation-agency-to-deliver-climate-action","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.edf.org\/climate411\/2019\/09\/25\/three-opportunities-for-the-uns-aviation-agency-to-deliver-climate-action\/","title":{"rendered":"Three opportunities for the UN\u2019s aviation agency to deliver climate action"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As International Civil Aviation Organization\u2019s (ICAO) 40th General Assembly kicks off this week in Montreal, aviation faces an existential challenge: the need to zero out its climate impact. Greta Thunberg, whose refusal to fly symbolizes the question every child of her generation will face, leads a climate strike on this Friday<\/a>, that will march right to ICAO\u2019s gates. Will their demands move the delegates representing 193 countries meeting inside?<\/p>\n

Here are three opportunities the Assembly can take to back up their climate commitments with real action.<\/p>\n

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Get CORSIA up and running with transparency and integrity.<\/strong>
\nOn the Assembly\u2019s agenda will be ICAO\u2019s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which caps net carbon dioxide emissions from international flights at 2020 levels for the years 2021-2035 and allows airlines to meet the cap by flying more efficiently, switching to cleaner fuels, and investing in carbon offsets. New research shows that if implemented with integrity, CORSIA can significantly cut aviation\u2019s warming impact<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Research also shows that airline customers want their airlines to take responsibility for their climate-damaging emissions<\/a> \u2013 and they want the airlines to offset the climate impacts of those flights, even if it costs more.<\/p>\n

Implementing CORSIA with strong rules can prompt airlines to find cost-effective ways to cut emissions, and incentivize large-scale technology shifts, while giving airlines the flexibility to offset emissions through lower-carbon fuels, forest conservation, and other verified reductions. But to achieve its promise and build public trust, ICAO must make CORSIA more transparent<\/strong>, and must ban double counting of emission reductions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Set itself a deadline<\/strong>
\nThe Assembly needs to set a deadline \u2013 preferably 2021, but not later than 2022 \u2013 for adopting a zero climate impact by 2050 target for aviation. The World Travel & Tourism Council has already asked its members<\/a> to be net-zero-by-2050. ICAO is now lagging and must step up.<\/p>\n

As laid out in the International Coalition for Sustainable Aviation\u2019s Vision<\/a>, the roadmap must:<\/p>\n