ICAO's 2050 Net Zero CO2 Goal For International Aviation
Source: https://theicct.org/publication/global-aviation-icao-net-zero-goal-jan23/
Author: Shraeya Mithal and Dan Rutherford
In October 2022, member states of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) agreed to a long-term aspirational goal (LTAG) of net-zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from aviation by 2050. The agreement represents a shift away from previous ICAO climate governance. It favors action to reduce CO2 from planes and fuels directly, rather than mitigating emissions through the purchase of emissions credit or offsets from other sectors. It envisions deep cuts in aviation CO2, to near-zero levels by 2050, which ICAO estimates will cost up to $4 trillion US. And it invites member states to regulate aviation emissions themselves, rather than relying on ICAO to develop minimum global standards covering all countries. Despite these strengths, the agreement does not assign individual targets to states, so neither countries nor airlines have a direct obligation to reduce emissions. Nor does it set intermediate goals (e.g., 2030 and 2040 targets) that would ensure that airlines do not consume their share of the global carbon budget too quickly. Finally, short-lived climate pollutants like nitrogen oxides, black carbon, water vapor, and contrail/cirrus are not included. These non-CO2 elements could warm the planet by twice as much as CO2 alone; near-term action to reduce their presence in the atmosphere could halt further warming from aviation