'Common but differentiated responsibility' must guide ICAO towards net zero

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) should continue to be guided by "common but differentiated responsibilities" in the efforts to achieve net zero carbon emissions for the aviation sector, India said on Wednesday.

India is one of the fastest-growing and the third largest civil aviation market in the world.

At an ICAO symposium in Seoul on Wednesday, Civil Aviation Secretary Rajiv Bansal said that based on "realities and infrastructure constraints", India has set a target of achieving net zero emissions by 2070.

"In achieving the net zero goal, ICAO should continue to be guided by common but differentiated responsibilities," Bansal said.

In an official statement issued at the Global Implementation Support Symposium 2023, the secretary said the transition towards a lower carbon and Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) will be fundamental to achieving the net zero target by 2050.

"The process of SAF legislation, regulation, production, and deployment is external to civil aviation and requires multi-agency participation. The competition for biofuels from other sectors, especially road transport poses a challenge of prioritisation.

"The application of sustainability criteria for CORSIA-eligible fuels is another area, which will require external verification bodies to apply their rules," he said.

According to the secretary, the cycle for SAF production has to be supported by ICAO through its implementation and support policy.

CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reporting Scheme for International Aviation) seeks to reduce emissions in the aviation sector by way of a carbon offsetting mechanism and is being implemented in phases.

At the 41st ICAO Assembly in October 2022, ICAO member states adopted a collective Long Term Global Aspirational Goal (LTAG) of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Bansal said that India is committed to the implementation of LTAG and highlighted that a number of flights have been operated with SAF blended fuel.

Further, he noted that any global mandates for SAF with milestones to 2050 are too early as each state must be allowed time to develop its own strategy for reaching LTAG as per its national plans.

Till SAF production, certification and availability are ensured, any volumetric mandates will not be consistent with the ideology of LTAG, which is to be accomplished by states based on their special circumstances and capabilities, and as per their national plans, he added.

ICAO is a UN agency that helps 193 countries to cooperate together and share their skies to their mutual benefit.