Flightpath 1.5 campaign launches 100 days after the Paris Agreement to urge the UN to tackle aviation’s CO2 emissions
21st March, 2016
Leading environmental NGOs today launched FlightPath 1.5, a global campaign dedicated to cutting aviation CO2 emissions and ensuring that aviation contributes its fair share to the goal of limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Aviation was not directly addressed in the COP21 Paris climate agreement which was agreed 100 days ago today.
The FlightPath 1.5 campaign is focused on ensuring that ICAO and its 191 Member States adopt a meaningful new agreement at the upcoming Assembly in September this year, and which culminates 200 days from today. If ICAO fails to take bold steps, aviation emissions are projected to triple by 2050, threatening to undermine efforts to limit planetary warming to no more than 1.5°C. The next Assembly won’t happen again for another three years, meaning that time is pressing to get an agreement.
FlightPath 1.5 calls for capping and cutting emissions of the entire international aviation sector and is advocating for an aggressive and transparent ICAO deal that:
- Initially caps net carbon emissions of international aviation at 2020 levels;
- Encourages airlines to meet the cap by cutting their own emissions and lets them use market-based measures as well – but only if those measures deliver high-quality emission reductions and low-carbon biofuels that promote sustainable development; and,
- Reviews the cap regularly, so that over time, aviation’s climate pollution can be ratcheted-down in line with the Paris target.
AEF is proud to join Carbon Market Watch, Environmental Defense Fund, The International Council on Clean Transportation, Transport & Environment and WWF in the effort.
Tim Johnson, AEF Director, commented:
“Curbing aviation emissions will require more than currently available technological improvements, making a market-based measure an essential tool to efficiently incentivise the industry to achieve deeper cuts. We can’t assume that the biofuels and other radical technological breakthroughs will automatically materialize and put aviation on a flightpath in line with 1.5°C. A well-designed market-based measure is the safety net the aviation industry needs.”
Visit
The FlightPath 1.5 campaign website
Download
The checklist for an effective plan to cut aviation CO2 emissions
An FAQ document outlining the key issues