ICAO’s Response to Global ChallengesMember States confirm their longstanding commitment to ICAO leadership in limiting orreducing aviation GHG emissions, working in collaboration with the air transport industry.

This booklet describes the actions that have been taken, the outcomes achieved thus far and thefurther commitment by States working through ICAO.

Most of the environmental activities of the Orga-nization continue to be undertaken by the ICAOCommittee on Aviation Environmental Protection(CAEP). CAEP addresses CO2 emissions frominternational aviation, by developing ICAO’sStandards and Recommended Practices andrelated guidance material, using technologicalimprovements (reduction at source), operationalmeasures and market-based measures.

More information on ICAO’s work on the environ-ment is available on the ICAO website(http://www.icao.int/env/).

International Aviation is the first sectorto come forward with a global target

• Global annual fuel efficiency improvement of 2% up to 2050

• Exploring the feasibility of more ambitious goals, including carbon-neutral growth and emis-sions reductions, for consideration by the 37th Session of the ICAO Assembly

• Commitment to develop a global CO2 Standard for aircraft

• States are encouraged to submit their action plans, outlining their respective policies andactions, and annual reporting on international aviation CO2 emissions to ICAO

ICAO’s three environmental goals are:

1) limit or reduce the number of people affected by significant aircraft noise;

2) limit or reduce the impact of aviation emissions on local air quality; and

3) limit or reduce the impact of aviation greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on the global climate.

All 190 ICAO member States recognize the critical importance of ICAO in providing continuous leadershipin limiting or reducing GHG emissions from international aviation.

As the UN specialized agency for internation-al civil aviation, ICAO has succeeded for morethan 40 years in bringing the world togetheraround increasingly stringent regulations foraircraft noise and engine emissions, leadingto air transport operations today being 70%more fuel efficient than 40 years ago.

ICAO Leadership:A History of Consensus and Action

A High-level Meeting on International Aviationand Climate Change was convened in October2009 to review a Programme of Action as animportant first step to address GHG emissionsfrom international aviation, and reaffirmedICAO’s leading role in matters involving interna-tional civil aviation. The Meeting successfullyapproved a Declaration as well as Recommenda-tions regarding further work by the Council oninternational aviation and climate change. Insummary, ICAO and its member States:

1) agreed on a global annual fuel efficiencyimprovement of 2% for the medium-term(up to 2020) and an aspirational globalannual fuel efficiency improvement of 2%for the long-term (up to 2050);

2) recognized that these goals are unlikelyto deliver the level of reduction necessaryto stabilize and subsequently reduce avi-ation’s absolute emissions contributionto climate change, and that more ambi-tious goals will need to be considered todeliver a sustainable path for aviation;

3) declared that ICAO and its memberStates, along with relevant organizationswill keep working together to undertakefurther work on medium and long-termgoals, including exploring the feasibilityof more ambitious goals, including car-bon-neutral growth and emissions reduc-tions, for consideration by the 37th Ses-sion of the ICAO Assembly;

4) agreed on the development of a globalCO2 Standard for aircraft;

5) strongly encouraged wider discussionson the development of alternative fueltechnologies and the promotion of theuse of sustainable alternative fuels in avi-ation;

6) agreed to facilitate the implementation ofoperational changes and the improve-ment of air traffic management and air-port systems aiming to reduce emissionsfrom international aviation;

7) agreed that ICAO will establish a processto expeditiously develop a framework formarket-based measures in internationalaviation;

8) agreed to further elaborate on measuresto assist developing States as well asfacilitate access to financial resources,technology transfer and capacity build-ing; and

9) in order to monitor progress towardsreaching the goals, States are encour-aged to submit their action plans, outlin-ing their respective policies and actions,and annual reporting on international avi-ation CO2 emissions to ICAO.

In November 2009, the ICAO Council fullyaccepted the outcome of the High-level Meeting,including its Declaration and Recommendationsapproved by the Meeting, and decided on furtheraction, for consideration by the 37th Session ofthe ICAO Assembly in September 2010 andbeyond.

Programme of Action on InternationalAviation and Climate Change

To address the challenge of climate change,arguably one of the greatest challenges of thiscentury, a clear path forward aimed at reducingand stabilizing emissions of CO2 at a level thatdoes not endanger the earth’s climate is essen-tial. Negotiations in the United Nations Frame-work Convention on Climate Change are intend-ed to reach the necessary agreements on thebest way to proceed for all parties involved .

Under ICAO authority, States are fully engagedto achieve a global solution to address emissionsfrom international civil aviation. Total CO2 emis-sions from the aviation sector (domestic andinternational operations) currently account forapproximately 2% of total global CO2 emissions(IPCC 4th Assessment Report in 2007), approxi-mately 60% of which are from international avia-tion.

Global Solutions for a Global Activity

Scheduled aviation traffic grew at an averagerate of 4% between 2001 and 2008. Global airtraffic, expressed in terms of passenger-kilome-tres performed (flying one passenger one kilome-tre), is projected to decline by approximately 4%in 2009. This forecast reflects the worsening ofworld GDP, which is projected to shrink byapproximately 1.7%. As the economy improves,a moderate recovery in scheduled aviation trafficis forecast for the year 2010 with a positivegrowth rate of about 3.3% and continued growth

of 5.5% in 2011. Scheduled traffic is anticipatedto grow at an average annual rate of 4.6 per centthrough 2025.

Although the contribution of aviation emissions tototal global CO2 emissions is relatively small,forecasted traffic growth raises questions on thefuture contributions of aviation activity to climatechange and on the most effective way ofaddressing those emissions in a future climateagreement.

The High-level Meeting on Aviation and Cli-mate Change affirmed that addressing GHGemissions from international aviationrequires the active engagement and coopera-tion of States and the air transport industry.Further, it acknowledged the commitments ofthe air transport industry to achieve carbonneutral growth by 2020 and to reduce its CO2emissions by 50% by 2050 compared to 2005levels.

All ICAO member States, working in collabo-ration with the air transport industry, will fur-ther explore global solutions to address GHGemissions from international aviation.

Further work by ICAO and Stakeholders

• Development of a global CO2 Standard

• Facilitate the development and deploy-ment of sustainable alternative fuels foraviation

• Operational improvements including airtraffic management and airport systemsto reduce emissions from internationalaviation

• Framework for market-based measures ininternational aviation

• Explore the feasibility of more ambitiousgoals, including carbon-neutral growthand emissions reductions, for considera-tion by the 37th Session of the ICAOAssembly

Future Challenges….Further Action

Concrete Actions….Tangible Global Results

www.icao.int/act_global

Certification Standards and TechnologyGoals

Aircraft are required to meet the environmentalcertification Standards, developed by the ICAO’sCommittee on Aviation Environmental Protection(CAEP) and adopted by the Council. These arecontained in Annex 16 (Environmental Protec-tion) Volume I: Aircraft Noise and Volume II:Aircraft Engine Emissions to the Conventionon International Civil Aviation. These certifica-tion Standards have been designed and are keptup to date in order to respond to concernsregarding environmental impact of aviation oncommunities in the vicinity of airports as well associety at large.

More recently, CAEP has undertaken an effort toestablish medium and long-term environmen-tal goals relating to technologies in threeareas (noise, NOx, and CO2 (fuel burn)). Thisprocess is being led by panels of independentexperts to ensure transparency and involvementfrom all stakeholders. The purpose of this goalsetting exercise is to provide agressive but rea-sonable targets for industry R&D to aim at.

Reducing Aviation Emissions at Source

The Annex 16 Volume II was originally designedto respond to concerns regarding air quality inthe vicinity of airports. As a consequence, theyestablish limits for emissions of oxides of nitro-gen (NOx), carbon monoxide and unburnedhydrocarbons, for a reference landing and take-off (LTO) cycle below 915 metres of altitude(3000 ft). There are also provisions regardingsmoke and vented fuel.

While these Standards are based on an aircraft’sLTO cycle, they also help to limit emissions ataltitude. Of particular relevance is the Standardfor NOx, a precursor for ozone, which at altitudeis a greenhouse gas. The Standard for NOx wasfirst adopted in 1981, then made more stringentin 1993, when ICAO reduced the permitted levelsby 20% for newly certificated engines, with aproduction cut-off on 31 December 1999. In1999, the Council further tightened the Standardby about 16% on average for engines newly cer-tificated from 31 December 2003. The latestICAO NOx Emissions Standards became appli-cable in November 2005 and is being applied toengines newly certified after December 2007.

In light of the direction given by ICAO Assemblyand its Council, CAEP has continued toexplore the development of an aviation CO2Standard. Key necessary steps toward a CO2Standard have been identified and this systemat-ic approach is expected to culminate in the adop-tion of a CO2 Standard within the next CAEPcycle (2010-2013).

The independent expert review for NOx reductiontechnologies was completed in 2006 and is beingupdated at present. Similarly, a workshop to con-solidate the knowledge base for fuel burnimprovements (CO2 reduction) through weightreduction, aerodynamic improvement, enginefuel efficiency improvement, and aircraft systemoptimization was conducted in 2009. The resultsof these reviews and workshop will be presentedto the CAEP/8 meeting in February 2010.

1. Mitigation - Technology and Standards

ICAO’s main strategy for operational measures iscontained in the Global Air Navigation Plan(ICAO Doc 9750) which provides a planningstrategy aimed at achieving benefits of Air TrafficManagement (ATM) to assist member States andregional planning groups in identifying the mostappropriate operational improvements and tosupport their implementation. This plan requiresenvironmental aspects to be taken into accountfrom the outset, when designing, developing andoperating ATM systems. Emissions-relatedaspects covered in the plan include the flexibleuse of airspace; air traffic flow management;dynamic and flexible route management; termi-nal area design and management; aerodromedesign and management; and performancebased navigation.

ICAO guidance to achieve fuel efficiency throughoperational measures is also provided in Opera-tional Opportunities to Minimize Fuel Use andReduce Emissions (ICAO Circular 303). Itidentifies and reviews various operational oppor-tunities and techniques for minimizing fuel con-sumption, hence CO2 emissions, in civil aviationoperations. It includes, among other items,opportunities for improvements at airports fol-lowed by the identification of fuel-saving opportu-nities during ground-based activities before flight,including both maintenance and the reduction ofaircraft mass. The possibilities for in-flight fuelsaving are then considered, with particular focuson the input from airlines and air traffic servicesproviders. The potential for increased efficiencythrough load factor improvement is alsoreviewed. ICAO’s Committee on Aviation Envi-ronmental Protection (CAEP) is now preparingnew guidance that will contain new and updatedinformation on current initiatives relating to fuelburn reduction.

ICAO has a central role to play in planning for theimplementation of operational improvements. Inaddition to developing the necessary Standardsand guidance material, ICAO has developed aglobal ATM Operational Concept that was widelyendorsed and used as the basis for regionalplanning. Every ICAO region has identified per-formance objectives and has developed workprogrammes to bring near- and medium-termbenefits, while integrating those programmeswith the extensive work already accomplished.

2. Mitigation - Operational Measures

ICAO’s Committee on Aviation EnvironmentalProtection (CAEP) has continued its work on mit-igation measures, including the market-basedmeasures to reduce aviation emissions. ICAOdeveloped in 2004 a template for voluntaryagreements between aviation industries andpublic organizations, and collected and sharedinformation on voluntary measures to reduceaviation GHG emissions by member States andvarious stakeholders in 2007. In the same year,ICAO also published guidance for States forincorporating international aviation emissionsinto their trading schemes (The Guidance onthe Use of Emissions Trading for Aviation,ICAO Doc 9885). In addition, guidance on localemissions-related charges (Guidance on Air-craft Emissions Charges Related to Local AirQuality, ICAO Doc 9884) had earlier been pub-lished.

Currently CAEP is conducting a study on issuesrelated to linking open emissions trading systemsinvolving aviation. With the implementation of dif-ferent emissions trading schemes throughout theworld, the increased harmonization of featuresand processes may facilitate the linkage of suchschemes, thus enabling the creation of a globalscheme. CAEP is also developing a study on thepotential for carbon offset measures to mitigatethe impact of aviation on climate change recog-nizing its potential for implementation in the shortterm. In this regard, the ICAO Carbon Emis-sions Calculator is an internationally acceptedtool for estimating CO2 emissions per passenger,that could be used in aviation offsettingschemes.The Calculator is available on the ICAOwebsite (www.icao.int), allowing passengers toestimate CO2 emissions attributed to their airtravel. It is simple to use and requires only a lim-ited amount of information from the user. Themethodology applies the best publicly availableindustry data to account for various factors suchas aircraft types, route specific data, passengerload factors and cargo carried. The Calculatorwas adopted by the United Nations (UN) as theofficial tool for all UN bodies to quantify their airtravel CO2 footprint in support of the UN ClimateNeutral Initiative.

The High-Level Meeting on Aviation and ClimateChange in October 2009 agreed that ICAO willestablish a process to expeditiously develop aframework for market-based measures ininternational aviation.

3. Mitigation - Market-based Measures

In support of the requests from the Council andCommittee on Aviation Environmental Protection(CAEP), ICAO organized the Workshop on Avi-ation and Alternative Fuels in February 2009.Approximately 150 participants from 114 Statesand International Organizations attended. Theobjective of the workshop was to explore poten-tial options, challenges to development anddeployment as well as initiatives to promote inter-national cooperation in alternative aviation fuels.The workshop featured 39 presentations frompolicy makers, regulatory and certificationauthorities, international airlines, NGO’s, aero-space and fuel industry representatives. All of thepresentation materials are available on the work-shop website (http://www.icao.int/waaf2009/).

There was general agreement that aviation alter-native fuels can be a win-win solution for reduc-ing aviation’s dependence on fossil fuels and akey element to help reduce the impact of aviationon climate change. It was also noted that alterna-tive fuels should be part of a comprehensive avi-ation energy strategy that includes technology,operational measures, and market-based meas-ures.

The introduction of sustainable alternative fuelsfor aviation will help address issues of environ-ment, economics, and supply security. Today,there is very limited availability of qualified alter-native fuels for aviation. It has been demonstrat-ed that sustainable alternative fuels for aircraftcan be produced from a wide variety of feed-stocks for use in global aviation, suggesting thatmany regions are candidate production locations.Those sustainable alternative fuels may offerreduced lifecycle CO2 emissions compared toconventional aviation fuels.

ICAO held a Conference on Aviation and Alter-native Fuels in November 2009(http://www.icao.int/CAAF2009/) as an importantstep by ICAO to promote improved understand-ing of the potential use and emission effects ofsustainable alternative fuels and to facilitate itsdevelopment and deployment. The Conferenceendorsed the use of sustainable alternative fuelsfor aviation, particularly the use of drop-in fuels inthe short to medium-term, as an importantmeans of reducing aviation emissions. The Con-ference Declaration and Recommendationsaffirmed the commitment of States and industryto develop, deploy and use sustainable alterna-tive fuels to reduce aviation’s emissions. To facil-itate, on a global basis, the promotion and har-monization of initiatives that encourage and sup-port the development of sustainable alternativefuels for aviation, the Conference established anICAO Global Framework for Aviation AlternativeFuels (GFAAF). The GFAAF will be a living doc-ument that will be made available on the ICAOwebsite and updated whenever new informationis provided by member States and InternationalOrganizations. ICAO will facilitate the develop-ment and deployment of sustainable alternativefuels for aviation.

4. Mitigation - Alternative Fuels for Aviation