Baku: The International Air Transport Association (IATA), along with Malaysia, Japan, and prominent industry stakeholders, has called upon governments and the international community to reaffirm the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)’s leadership in advancing coordinated climate action towards achieving net-zero aviation by 2050.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the call was made through a joint statement issued at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), emphasizing the necessity for global solutions and highlighting ICAO as the sole forum for addressing international aviation emissions. The statement cautioned against fragmented or unilateral measures, advocating for a unified approach to deliver effective climate results for the sector.
IATA further noted that the statement underscores the importance of robust global carbon markets in expanding climate finance opportunities, a significant topic on the COP agenda and integral to the Baku to Belem Roadmap. The joint statement was endorsed by the Malaysian and Japanese governments, as well as several industry bodies including Airlines for Europe, the Arab Air Carriers Organisation, Airports Council International, Airlines International Representation in Europe, the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association, the African Airlines Association, the International Business Aviation Council, and the World Travel and Tourism Council.
The key points of the joint statement, as outlined by IATA, reaffirm ICAO’s authority under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol as the exclusive body for regulating international aviation emissions. The signatories urged all governments to strengthen the implementation of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), a critical component for achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. In its initial phase from 2024 to 2026, CORSIA is expected to require airlines to purchase over 200 million credits, amounting to approximately USD 4 billion to USD 5 billion.
IATA stated that this requirement will significantly increase in subsequent years, with the scheme anticipated to offset nearly 2 billion credits by 2035. Additionally, the statement calls on host countries to operationalize Article 6 of the Paris Agreement by issuing Letters of Authorisation and enabling the release of CORSIA-Eligible Emissions Units, which are vital steps for mobilizing international climate finance and supporting sustainable development.
The signatories also warned against the imposition of taxes and levies, specifically ticket taxes proposed by emerging coalitions, arguing that they are ineffective climate instruments that could negatively impact investment capacity in actual emission-reduction projects. Such measures, they cautioned, could impair connectivity and disproportionately affect developing economies and small island states.
In support of this unified approach, IATA’s director-general Willie Walsh emphasized the need for governments to reaffirm ICAO’s role as the singular global authority, fully implement CORSIA, and operationalize Article 6 to unlock climate finance for developing nations in order to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. He stressed that fragmented taxes and levies would not reduce emissions but rather divert funds from essential emission-reduction investments, thus weakening connectivity and harming those who rely on it most.