UN aviation meeting agrees goal of 5% lower emissions by 2030

Delegates said the agreement, which came after five days of talks led by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Dubai, called for 5% lower carbon emissions through the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) or other cleaner energy by 2030, compared with an earlier draft target of 5-8%. The United States told the closing session of the meeting, which was held ahead of next week's COP28 climate summit, that the goal sent a "clear and positive signal" to the financial community, which must invest in new clean energy projects.

A meeting of more than 100 countries agreed on Friday to an interim goal for emissions reductions from global aviation by 2030 by using less polluting fuels, but China, Russia and some others aired concerns about the impact on their economies. Delegates said the agreement, which came after five days of talks led by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Dubai, called for 5% lower carbon emissions through the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) or other cleaner energy by 2030, compared with an earlier draft target of 5-8%.

The United States told the closing session of the meeting, which was held ahead of next week's COP28 climate summit, that the goal sent a "clear and positive signal" to the financial community, which must invest in new clean energy projects. Some countries said the target would encourage critical investments needed to ramp up SAF production, which now amounts to less than 1% of total global jet fuel. Aviation accounts for estimated 2-3% of global carbon emissions.

Mauricio Ramirez Koppel, ICAO representative from Colombia, which is looking to produce SAF from materials like palm oil, said the 5% target "will kick-start and speed-up SAF projects" by giving countries, industry and investors a clear objective. Aviation is not directly covered by the Paris Agreement on combating climate change but the air transport sector has previously pledged to align itself with global goals by setting an "aspirational" target of net zero emissions by 2050.

By bringing together broadly the same countries that are involved in COP28, analysts have said this week's aviation talks offered an early glimpse of the scope for further cooperation. The deal followed wrangling over wording, particularly the transfer of technology which African and other emerging economies want to allow them to ramp up SAF production capacity.

RESERVATIONS Some countries made clear their reservations.

China, which has agreed to aim for carbon neutrality by 2060 rather than 2050, said that the goal would "enormously increase" airline operating costs and discriminate against developing countries by posing a threat to energy and food security. Saudi Arabia and Iraq, two major Middle East oil producers and OPEC members, objected to both the target and date.

Environmentalists said it lacks teeth as it is not binding. "ICAO has no mandate to enforce this target so it will likely end up in smoke," said Jo Dardenne, aviation director at the Brussels-based group Transport & Environment. "It is unclear how much and what type of fuels will need to be produced to reach this 5% target globally."

The aviation industry estimates it will take between $1.45 trillion and $3.2 trillion for SAF capital development to achieve the sector's net zero emissions goal. Making access to financing more readily available to developing countries, another conference goal, is needed to bolster SAF output outside regions like the U.S. and Europe.

Francis Mwangi, senior planning officer at Kenya's Civil Aviation Authority, said his country needs financing to study the economic benefits of domestic SAF production and for using an old Mombasa-based refinery to produce the fuel. "We are ready to move and produce SAF in Kenya," Mwangi told Reuters ahead of the conference.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)