• Home
  • News
  • In-depth
  • Opinion
  •  
    Energy
    • Wind
    • Marine
    • Solar
    • Biomass
    • Nuclear
    • CCS
    • Infrastructure
  •  
    Policy
    • Politics
    • Legislation
    • Taxation
  •  
    Management
    • Marketing
    • Risk
    • Skills
    • Incentives
    • Carbon Accounting
  •  
    Technology
    • Waste
    • Recycling
    • R&D
    • Efficiency
    • IT
  •  
    Investment
    • Carbon Trading
    • Offsets
    • Venture Capital
  • Events & Awards
  • Industry Voice
  • Newsletters
  • Sign in
  • Jobs
  • Events & Awards
    • Upcoming events
      event logo
      BusinessGreen Technology & Investment Forum 2018

      Investors and clean tech firms are invited to sign up to BusinessGreen's Tech & Investment Forum to explore the opportunities offered by the UK's fast expanding green economy.

      • Date: 25 Apr 2018
      • Future Cities Catapult The Urban Innovation Centre One Sekforde St London, EC1R 0BE, London
      event logo
      BusinessGreen Leaders Awards 2018

      The BusinessGreen Leaders Awards 2018 will bring together over 600 executives, entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and campaigners to celebrate the green economy's most exciting and innovative achievements from the past 12 months.

      • Date: 27 Jun 2018
      • The Brewery 52 Chiswell Street London EC1Y 4SD, London
      View all events
  • Sign in
    • You are currently accessing BusinessGreen via your Enterprise account.

      If you already have an account please use the link below to sign in.

      If you have any problems with your access or would like to request an individual access account please contact our customer service team.

      Phone: +44 (0) 1858 438800

      Email: [email protected]

      • Sign in
     
      • Newsletters
      • Account details
      • Contact support
      • Sign out
     
  • Follow us
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • LinkedIn
    • Newsletters
    • Facebook
  • Free Trial
  • Subscribe
Business Green
Business Green
  • Home
  • News
  • In-depth
  • Opinion
  • Energy
  • Policy
  • Management
  • Technology
  • Investment
  • You are currently accessing BusinessGreen via your Enterprise account.

    If you already have an account please use the link below to sign in.

    If you have any problems with your access or would like to request an individual access account please contact our customer service team.

    Phone: +44 (0) 1858 438800

    Email: [email protected]

    • Sign in
 
    • Newsletters
    • Account details
    • Contact support
    • Sign out
 
Business Green
  • Aviation

Aviation carbon standard won't plug jumbo jet-sized hole in Paris Agreement

a-businessgreen-take-lrg-logo
  • James Murray
  • James Murray
  • @James_BG
  • 09 February 2016
  • Tweet  
  • Facebook  
  • LinkedIn  
  • Google plus  
  • Send to  
0 Comments

As environmental groups label new aviation carbon standard "ineffective", pressure on the industry to decarbonise looks set to intensify

Last year's Paris Agreement was so much more ambitious than expected that the vast majority of green businesses and campaigners united in hailing its historic significance. But the near universal praise for the deal did not mean it was without flaws - far from it.

Today the UN attempted to address one of those flaws with the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) announcement that its Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) has backed plans for a mandatory carbon standard for new aircraft to be phased in from 2020.

Related articles

  • 'We need a solution': Why OVO is banking on home batteries, EVs and smart appliances
  • As leader of the Commonwealth, is the UK pulling its weight in the climate fight?
  • Has the IMO done enough to chart a course towards greener shipping?
  • Solar domination: 2017 renewables investment trends at-a-glance
  • Green Finance Taskforce: Five key takeaways from an action plan to finance clean growth

One of the biggest weaknesses of the Paris Agreement was the axing of a reference to the need to tackle emissions from aviation and shipping. The EU had wanted a specific commitment to deal with the twin industries' fast-expanding carbon footprint, but according to sources the reference was killed early in the negotiating process by the same "usual suspects" who tried to kill the EU's extension of its emissions trading scheme to aviation - i.e. the US, China and several Gulf States.

Opponents of aviation and shipping's inclusion in the Paris text argued it was unnecessary as the ICAO and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) were already working on their own climate policies. The ICAO's announcement today suggests they may have had a point.

The aviation industry was quick to herald today's news as an important step in the right direction - one that will be followed later this year by a major meeting on how to introduce a market-based mechanism to tackle aviation emissions.

However, it remains far too early to tell if the promised carbon standard really marks a turning point in the ICAO's thus far under-powered approach to climate issues. There are plenty of justifiable reasons for green groups to remain concerned about aviation's fast-expanding climate impact.

Firstly, the standard still has to be adopted. Secondly, as the respected Transport and Environment (T&E) group noted today the proposed standard is pretty weak. By phasing it in between 2020 and 2028, policymakers have kept the door open for some relatively inefficient aircraft to remain in production for well over a decade. "Variants of in-production aircraft (Airbus Neo and Boeing MAX) now coming on the market will dominate deliveries for the next generation and easily comply with a higher stringency than that now set for such aircraft by ICAO," T&E noted. "The standard could have accelerated the closure of production lines of the older versions of these types (A320s, A330s, Boeing 737CEOs) but ICAO added a built-in escape to keep these old and 15-20 per cent less fuel-efficient aircraft in production up until 2028."

Thirdly, the standard alone is highly unlikely to deliver on the industry's stated goal of delivering an average of 1.5 per cent a year up to 2020, stabilising CO2 emissions by 2020, and halving CO2 emissions by 2050 compared with a 2005 baseline. There are some bright green spots in the aviation industry - jet biofuel trials are making progress, fuel efficiency does keep improving year-on-year as airlines respond to cost pressures, companies such as easyJet are pioneering clean technologies in a bid to slash emissions further. But as a study noted last year, the industry is currently 12 years behind on its 2020 goal and there is little hope of the gap being closed.

Environmental campaigners, policymakers, and a growing number of airlines know more ambitious policies need to be introduced by the ICAO, ideally as early as this autumn. However, without a change of heart from the 'usual suspects' any new policies are likely to be watered down and fall short of the level of ambition required if the aviation industry is to contribute fully to meeting the climate goals agreed in Paris.

The Paris Agreement was an historic success, but without significant further progress from the ICAO this year it could still be left with a jumbo jet-sized hole where a credible plan for delivering a low carbon aviation industry should have sat.

This article is part of BusinessGreen's Road to Paris hub, hosted in association with PwC.

The BusinessGreen Take

There is no time to waste, businesses should start preparing for a net zero emission goal now
  • Legislation
  • 23 Apr 2018
Could a takeaway change the world?
  • Automotive
  • 12 Apr 2018
Beware the unconscious recoupling: It's time to double down on decarbonisation efforts
  • Climate change
  • 05 Apr 2018
With a year to go until Brexit, green businesses must make their voices heard
  • Policy
  • 03 Apr 2018
Higher pay and job satisfaction: Do green jobs offer a snapshot of the future?
  • Work
  • 07 Mar 2018
The government says it wants a high standards Brexit - here's the first test
  • Legislation
  • 22 Feb 2018
  • Tweet  
  • Facebook  
  • LinkedIn  
  • Google plus  
  • Send to  
  • Topics
  • Aviation
  • Policy
  • United Nations
  • Paris Summit
  • Paris Agreement
  • In-depth

More From The BusinessGreen Take

There is no time to waste, businesses should start preparing for a net zero emission goal now

  • Legislation
  • 23 Apr 2018
just eat scooter
Could a takeaway change the world?

  • Automotive
  • 12 Apr 2018
Beware the unconscious recoupling: It's time to double down on decarbonisation efforts

  • Climate change
  • 05 Apr 2018
With a year to go until Brexit, green businesses must make their voices heard

  • Policy
  • 03 Apr 2018
Higher pay and job satisfaction: Do green jobs offer a snapshot of the future?

  • Work
  • 07 Mar 2018
The government says it wants a high standards Brexit - here's the first test

  • Legislation
  • 22 Feb 2018

More news

'A very bad joke': Labour slams government handling of net zero emissions challenge

EXCLUSIVE: Labour's Barry Gardiner attacks government over Clean Growth Strategy's failure to meet either current emissions targets or mooted net zero goal

  • Politics
  • 25 April 2018
Oil company values likely to fall within five years, warn asset managers

New survey reveals share of fund managers who expect value of oil firms to drop in coming years has doubled in the last 12 months

  • Investment
  • 25 April 2018
Barry Gardiner
Net zero is the aim. But the Tories won't get us there

There's much more to do before the government can claim to be a climate leader, warns Labour's Barry Gardiner

  • Politics
  • 25 April 2018
Boston Tea Party announces ban on all disposable coffee cups

Café chain declares 'you'll need to bring your own cup'

  • Waste
  • 25 April 2018
Back to Top

Most read

europe-small
Green Brexit: Investors and energy firms 'strongly urge' UK and EU to secure close climate cooperation
Haliade-X: World's largest wind turbine coming to the UK
Energy storage and smart grid firms enjoy surge in VC interest
Northern Ireland: Renewables industry calls for long term decarbonisation strategy
New UK coal-free power record set at over 76 hours
  • Contact Us
  • Marketing solutions
  • About Incisive Media
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy and Cookie policy
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Newsletters
  • Facebook

© Incisive Business Media (IP) Limited, Published by Incisive Business Media Limited, New London House, 172 Drury Lane, London WC2B 5QR, registered in England and Wales with company registration numbers 09177174 & 09178013

Digital publisher of the year
Digital publisher of the year 2010, 2013, 2016 & 2017