A4A, Boeing, Airbus Commend The Organization For Its Progress On The Issue

Global aviation moved a step closer to establishing a worldwide CO2 Standard for aircraft Tuesday, as the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO’s) Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) unanimously agreed on a CO2 metric system which characterizes the CO2 emissions for aircraft types with varying technologies.

“The new CO2 metric system agreed today by States, as well as intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, addresses emissions from a wide variety of aircraft on a fair and transparent basis,” stressed ICAO Council President, Roberto Kobeh González. “It includes factors which account for fuselage geometry, maximum take-off weight and fuel burn performance at three different cruise conditions and is a major move forward.”

The CAEP agreement on the new aircraft CO2 metric system will allow the States and observer organizations that together comprise the CAEP to move onto the next stages in the development of an ICAO CO2 aircraft Standard. This work includes the definition of certification procedures to support the agreed metric system and the Standard’s scope of applicability. The metric system defines how an aircraft's CO2 emissions can be evaluated in a method relevant to how aircraft are operated. It is based on fuel burn performance at three different cruise conditions. To address the wide variety of aircraft sizes, the metric accounts for the fuselage geometry and the maximum aircraft takeoff weight.

An appropriate regulatory limit for the aircraft CO2 Standard will then be analyzed, using the ICAO criteria of technical feasibility, environmental benefit, cost effectiveness and the impacts of interdependencies.

“This metric system is a very important milestone which comes after extensive technical discussions,” commented ICAO’s Environment Branch Chief, Jane Hupe. “That ICAO was able to achieve consensus between the States who serve on the CAEP, in addition to the major airlines, aircraft manufacturers, environmental NGOs and other stakeholders who serve as observers to this process, highlights that there is a great deal of motivation in every quarter of our sector to achieve real progress on aviation environmental performance.”

In a news release, Boeing Vice President of Environment and Aviation Policy Billy Glover called the establishment of the metric system a "tremendous achievement by the committee that has worked so diligently the past several years to reach agreement on the CO2 standard and metric system that supports it. Our industry continues to advocate for global standards for aviation emissions developed through ICAO because the process works; this achievement is proof-positive."

"We welcome the progress ICAO/CAEP are making, because it is of utmost importance to establish the CO2 Standard as the benchmark and reference point for measuring efficiency delivered by technology,“ said Fabrice Bregier, Airbus President and CEO. “It underscores the importance of ICAO as the international body to lead key issues on aviation globally. This is a clear demonstration of the industry’s commitment in using technology to help the aviation sector meet its ambitious environmental goals.”
 
Airbus contributed technical expertise into defining and evaluating a CO2 metric system, alongside other industry stakeholders such as engine and airframe manufacturers, airlines, non-governmental organisations and airworthiness authorities.

"ICAO is again demonstrating its leadership for setting global aviation industry standards, and we commend the work of the Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection for reaching this first milestone toward a CO2 standard for new aircraft," said A4A Vice President, Environmental Affairs Nancy Young. "U.S. airlines are committed to reducing fuel burn through a number of measures, including acquiring new, fuel-efficient aircraft that will meet global greenhouse gas standards."

In addition to developing a CO2 standard for aircraft, A4A said that the ICAO is the appropriate venue to discuss potential market-based measures and other methods for further carbon-emissions reductions and that work that is slated to be completed in 2013. The European Union Emissions Trading Scheme, opposed by the United States and every other non-EU country, has been a roadblock to finalizing a full agreement at ICAO.

FMI: www.icao.int, www.boeing.com, www.airlines.org, www.airbus.com