Background
In October this year, member countries of the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will decide what role the aviation sector should play in tackling climate change. As this will be the first important milestone in tackling aviation emissions, civil society must play a decisive role in lobbying for stringent rules, ambitious targets, and transparent decision making.
This Action To
olkit is designed to provide you with a background on aviation, present Carbon Market Watch’s key asks on the global market-based mechanism (GMBM) that has been proposed by the aviation industry, and explain how civil society can have play a decisive role in pressuring national authorities and airlines to adopt effective and ambitious climate solutions.
Why is action needed in the aviation sector?
Emissions from international aviation grew by over 75% between 1990 and 2012. In 2014, the sector emitted more CO2 into the atmosphere than the combined emissions of the 129 lowest emitting countries. This is equivalent to 4.9% of all annual global warming. If international aviation were a country, its emissions would put it well into the top 20. With a business as usual scenario, aviation emissions are expected to grow by up to 300% by 2050 !
Under the Paris Agreement, all countries are required to act to help to limit global warming to 1.5°C. Developed countries are to take the lead by committing to “economy-wide absolute emission reduction targets”. This objective of the Paris Agreement can only be fulfilled if the aviation industry, a top ten global polluter, contributes its fair share in reducing emissions rapidly.
Read our full Aviation Toolkit here
