The world’s airlines have agreed a deal on emissions reductions, paving the way for the European Union to include aviation in its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).
At a meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on Friday, the organisation representing 190 states agreed a roadmap to reduce aviation emissions up to 2020.
Under the terms of the agreement, which will cover 90% of worldwide air traffic, the sector will aim to improve fuel efficiency by 2% every year and cap emissions from 2020 onwards.
The breakthrough was helped by the inclusion of exemptions for small emitters, nations with less than 1% of international air traffic. Such nations do not have to submit action plans for reducing emissions unless they wish to voluntarily.
European Commissioners for transport and climate action Siim Kallas and Connie Hedegaard welcomed the breakthrough after nearly a decade of deadlock on how to reduce international aviation emissions.
“This deal is very significant because at a global level, governments and the aviation industry have for the first time agreed to cap greenhouse emissions from 2020,” says Kallas. “There is a lot more work to be done, but this is a deal which is very good news for the aviation sector, good news for the environment and good for a more sustainable future.”
However, Hedegaard adds that although the agreement is a step in the right direction, it does not go as far as European authorities think it should.
Currently, aviations accounts for around 2-3% of global greenhouse gas emissions but could see levels increase significantly on coming decades as international air travel increases.