ICAO forms eco-policy task force to take measures on carbon emissions

THE International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has formed an environmental task force to create a global, market-based approach to combating aircraft carbon emissions.

The development comes after the European Union's decision to suspend its carbon tax scheme, reportedly in response to a growing boycott of European plane maker Airbus and other protests from countries that opposed taxing carbon emissions beyond EU airspace.

The ICAO task force, which will deliver its plan and an accompanying feasibility report by ICAO's triennial assembly in October, will include officials from international civil aviation authorities.

"Based on the encouraging results of the ICAO Council meeting on November 9 - and the constructive engagement of its international partners in relevant discussions - ICAO has welcomed the recent announcement by EU climate action commissioner Connie Hedegaard that Europe will 'stop the clock' when it comes to enforcement of the inclusion of aviation in the EU ETS [emissions trading scheme] to and from non-European countries."

Emirates air cargo chief Ram Menen said a comprehensive and inclusive plan to reduce carbon emissions is the right step, but the EU ETS was not. "We're not opposed to a common and global kind of charge. But then we would expect that whatever taxes are collected would go into improving the aviation infrastructure," Mr Menen said, noting that the EU wouldn't have put money it collected through the ETS back into aviation.