The Paris Agreement, which, as announced by the United Nations is due to enter into force before the end of 2016, does not explicitly mention the aviation sector, and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has been charged with finding solutions to reduce its environmental impact.
An historic agreement was reached on October 6, 2016, on the occasion of the 39th Assembly of ICAO member countries to reduce CO2 emissions from international aviation. The Principality actively participated in the conclusion of this Agreement, which opens a new chapter in international aviation.
The Monegasque delegation, comprising Ms Diane Vachon, Consul General of Monaco in Montreal and Permanent Representative of Monaco to the ICAO and Bruno Lassagne, Director of Civil Aviation, has been working closely with the other 43 countries participating in the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) to promote comprehensive and coordinated action in the Assembly in order to respond to the growth of aviation emissions, estimated to rise by more than 300 percent by 2050.
The solidarity and perseverance of this coalition has resulted in the first sectoral global agreement to fight against CO2 emissions and reduce its environmental impacts, the Monaco Government said.
From 2021, 65 states have committed to voluntarily adopt this global market-based measure (GMBM) to offset CO2 emissions. Other states will progressively join the coalition by 2027, when GMBM becomes mandatory.
The new Agreement is a decisive and irreversible step towards carbon-neutral growth for aviation, which should stimulate other transport sectors, especially maritime transport, to commit to a similar path.