The International Air Transport Association (IATA), together with the governments of Japan and Malaysia and a broad coalition of aviation industry organisations, issued a joint statement at the COP30 climate conference. The statement calls on governments and the international community to reaffirm the leadership of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and to accelerate coordinated actions that will enable the aviation sector to achieve net‑zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The signatories stress that a single, global framework – ICAO – must remain the exclusive forum for regulating international aviation emissions. They warn that fragmented or unilateral measures would undermine effective climate outcomes and that robust global carbon markets are essential to mobilise climate finance, a priority of the COP agenda and the Baku‑to‑Belem Roadmap.
Key points of the joint statement:
- ICAO’s central role: reaffirm ICAO’s authority under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol as the sole body for international aviation emissions.
- Strengthening CORSIA: call for full implementation of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation. In its first phase (2024‑2026) airlines are expected to purchase over 200 million credits, generating roughly USD 4‑5 billion, with the volume rising sharply to nearly 2 billion credits by 2035.
- Urgent activation of Article 6: urge states to issue Letters of Authorization and release CORSIA‑eligible Emission Units, unlocking international climate finance for developing countries.
- Taxes and levies are not climate solutions: caution that ticket taxes or similar unilateral levies do not deliver emissions reductions and may harm connectivity and economies of developing nations and Small Island States.
The statement is signed by the governments of Japan and Malaysia and a range of industry bodies, including Airlines for Europe, Airports Council International, the Air Transport Action Group, and many regional airline associations.
Source: www.iata.org
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