UN chief welcomes new market-based measure to curb aviation emissions

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday welcomed the first global market-based measure adopted by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to curb emissions from the aviation industry worldwide.

ICAO's new rules will curb carbon emissions from passenger and cargo airplanes as of 2020 through a carbon offset mechanism. Airlines will buy "emission units" generated by projects reducing CO2 emissions in other sectors of the economy.

The system will be voluntary from 2021 to 2026 for 65 parties and will be mandatory from 2027 to 2035 for states with larger aviation activities.

"The Secretary-General commends the scores of countries, including the world's two largest emitters, China and United States, that have pledged to join the new system at its outset in 2020," said a statement released by Ban's spokesperson.

According to the UN, the number of flights worldwide is expected to double in the next 15 years. And the greenhouse gas emissions from aviation are estimated to account for a quarter of all emissions by 2050.

"The Secretary-General commends this important first step to limit carbon emissions from air travel and calls for further strengthening of emissions standards as quickly as possible," said the statement.

The new rules by ICAO came just a day after the Paris Agreement crossed the double thresholds needed to enter into force with 72 countries accounting for more than 56 percent of global emissions having ratified the agreement.

The important climate deal, which aims to keep the global average temperature from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, will enter into force on Nov. 4, 2016. Endit