Flight International - June 30, 2015 UK

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EMISSIONS

forefront of those efforts will be IATA and the
Air Transport Action Group (ATAG).
“There is a definite need for capacity-build-
ing – UN-speak for education – as to how the
MBM will work, both for states and also for
industry,” says ATAG head of communica-
tions Haldane Dodd.
“It is something we and IATA will be con-
centrating on after the [Global Sustainable
Aviation] Summit [in September], to make
sure that all parties that will be included in
any future MBM are aware of their responsi-
bilities and know about the decision that will
be coming up at the ICAO Assembly.
“So we will likely run a series of work-
shops or webinars for airlines as part of this
process, with ICAO needing to do something
similar for governments.”

IMPORTANT FORUM
The ATAG Summit itself will take place 60
days before the UN climate change confer-
ence – COP21 – in Paris, and a year ahead of
the crucial ICAO Assembly. The Geneva-
based event will, therefore, provide an impor-
tant forum for the airline industry to promote
and clarify its position.

“The ATAG Summit is expected to have a

focus on the development of the MBM, with

high-level discussions on the ICAO process

taking place alongside technical discussions on

alternative fuels, noise and best environmental

action,” says Dodd. “Given that the global en-

vironment committees of IATA and ACI [Air-

ports Council International] will also meet in

Geneva during that week, it will be the chance

for the industry to send a message to govern-

ment negotiators in Paris and, more impor-

tantly for aviation, those meeting at ICAO.”

IATA would prefer the MBM to take the

form of a mandatory carbon-offsetting scheme

to be applied to emissions growth post-2020,

using as a baseline the industry’s average an-

nual emissions between 2018 and 2020. Other

options on the table include a revenue-gener-

ating carbon-offsetting scheme where funds

raised would be used to help developing

countries tackle climate change-related is-

sues, and an emissions trading system along

the lines of the EU’s controversial ETS.

IATA environment chief Michael Gill ac-

knowledges that there is much work to be done

to convince the world that a single MBM would

be in all parties’ interests, but he is encouraged

by the discussions that have taken place so far.

“I think that the progress in the negotia-

tions on the global MBM is very encouraging.

What has been striking is that many states

who were previously reticent to move those

talks forward have now truly entered the dis-

cussions, participating actively in the ex-

change and putting forward new ideas and

approaches,” says Gill. “There remains a lot

of work ahead of us but I genuinely believe

that there is a desire on the part of govern-

ments the world over to achieve what would

be a unique and historic agreement in 2016.”

However, he admits that there are still

many differences – particularly between de-

veloped and developing nations – on what

form the MBM should take; hence the global

education drive.

“The perennial issues of how to determine

the obligations that would fall on individual

operators in any future MBM scheme and

how to reconcile the differing views of devel-

oped and developing states, including low-

emissions states and emerging markets,

remain on the table,” says Gill.

While a global MBM is “vital” to help the

aviation industry achieve its target of carbon-

neutral growth from 2020, Gill points out that

to reach the next objective of cutting carbon

dioxide emissions by 50% by 2050, relative to

2005 levels, widespread use of sustainable

aviation fuels will also be required. To this

end, he wants governments to “recognise” the

commitments that airlines have made to alter-

native fuels and “help bring production levels

up so that prices can fall”.

What is clear is that negotiators will have to

work hard over the next 12 months to ensure

that the first piece of the jigsaw – the global

MBM – can slot into place. “We are within

touching distance of achieving an agreement

at the 2016 ICAO Assembly and we cannot af-

ford to let our commitment flag,” says Gill. ■

The MBM must be fair to developing countries

Rex Features

Rex Features

“I believe there is a desire

to achieve a unique and

historic agreement in 2016”

MICHAEL GILL

IATA environment chief