8 April 2016: During a second round of Global Aviation Dialogues (GLADs) on market-based measures (MBM) to address climate change, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has presented draft Assembly resolution text to member States and other stakeholders in the five ICAO regions. Each GLAD provided participants the opportunity to learn about the design elements and implementation mechanisms of the MBM draft resolution text and to offer initial feedback during discussions.
Aviation currently accounts for 2% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, with international aviation responsible for 65% of that total. However, the Paris Agreement on climate change, adopted by Parties to the UNFCCC in December 2015, does not cover the international aviation sector. Thus, actions under ICAO to reduce emissions will be crucial to accomplishing both the Paris Agreement’s mitigation objectives and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 (Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts).
The 2015 and 2016 GLADs were organized in response to ICAO Assembly Resolution A38-18, which, in addition to deciding to create a global MBM scheme for international aviation, requests the ICAO Council to organize seminars and workshops as part of the process of developing the scheme. The 2016 GLADs helped prepare participating officials and experts for the High-level Meeting on a global MBM scheme, to be held from 11-13 May 2016, and the 39th Session of the ICAO Assembly, to be held from 27 September – 7 October 2016, when ICAO member States will decide whether to adopt the MBM design scheme. If the 191 member States adopt the scheme, it will be implemented by 2020.
During the GLADs, ICAO informed non-Council States on aspects such as the simplicity of the proposed MBM, environmental integrity, cost-effectiveness, ways to differentiate among States without discriminating, and assistance and capacity building for the MBM’s effective implementation. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu, ICAO Council President, called the GLADs outreach “essential to facilitate well-informed discussion and decision-making” among member States.
The five regional 2016 GLADs took place in: Cairo, Egypt, on 20-21 March (Middle East); Dakar, Senegal, on 23-24 March (Africa); in Legian, Indonesia, on 29-30 March (Asia Pacific); in Utrecht, The Netherlands, on 4-5 April (Europe and North Atlantic); and in Mexico City, Mexico, on 7-8 April (Americas). [ICAO GLADs Webpage] [ICAO Press Release] [IISD RS Story on 2015 GLADs] [IISD RS Policy Update on Emissions from International Transport]