ICAO, the UN agency responsible for regulating aviation, has failed to take any leadership on aviation and the climate crisis. Now they adopted a declaration attacking the European Union’s pioneering attempt to have air carriers pay a market-driven price for the climate pollution they generate. This is the culmination of 26 nations ganging up on the EU, trying to ensure that their air carriers won’t have to pay for the climate pollution associated with flights to and from Europe.
AINonline reports “The ICAO declaration includes language from an earlier, joint declaration by 21 countries adopted September 30 in New Delhi. That document opposes imposition of the ETS on non-EU carriers as being ‘inconsistent with applicable international law,’ pledges to continue opposing the European policy and invites other countries to associate with the declaration.”
The United States played a significant role in the process. Says Bill Hemmings from Transport & Environment, “The developing world is being asked to fight a proxy war on behalf of American airlines who balk at the thought of paying the equivalent of a 1 cent a litre tax on kerosene to fight climate change. The aviation industry is sending its lawyers to work in Europe and inside the US government to fight climate change policy but it should be sending its engineers to work to make cleaner planes.” T&E reports that that the Microsoft Word author of the final Delhi Declaration file was the “FAA.” The Aviation Justice team is deeply disappointed, and stands with the European Union.
Read more:
- International Battle over Aviation Emissions – a new front opened today at the ICAO (Adopt A Negotiator Project)
- ICAO Joins Airlines, Nations in Opposing Emissions Trading Scheme (AINonline)
- Questions raised over airline’s role in international emissions dispute (Transport & Environment)
- Q+A-What issues are at stake in the EU-U.S. carbon spat? (Reuters)
- ICAO Working Paper on European Union Emissions Trading System (ICAO)
International climate activists support the EU at ICAO headquarters in Montreal
Aviation Justice 
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