The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) urged its member states to continue to take a globally harmonized approach to reducing emissions from international aviation, underscoring that the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) should be the primary global framework for addressing the sector’s carbon emissions.

On Monday, the UN's aviation agency called in a press release for closer cooperation between its member states to strengthen CORSIA and avoid fragmented national or regional measures that could replicate or contradict the global system.

ICAO said that as countries move from planning to implementing measures to reduce emissions from international flights, it is essential that such efforts remain aligned under the organization's global framework.

The agency noted that CORSIA, unanimously supported by member states at the most recent ICAO Assembly, is the only internationally agreed mechanism covering carbon emissions from international aviation. It is designed to ensure that airlines worldwide operate under a common set of rules while supporting the industry's broader decarbonization efforts.

CORSIA is one of several measures that ICAO has said are needed to cut aviation emissions, including cleaner energy sources, technological innovation, and improvements in operations.

A coordinated global approach would ensure fair competition among airlines, improve transparency, and strengthen trust among the participating countries, the organization said. Avoiding overlap or conflict between national and regional emissions regimes would reduce regulatory complexity, increase efficiency, and provide greater certainty for airlines, it said.

ICAO also said improved international coordination under its leadership could help promote investment in cleaner technologies and support innovation, allowing the aviation industry to accelerate progress toward its climate goals.

The organization stressed that continued cooperation between ICAO and its Member States is essential to achieve long-term decarbonisation of international air transport while maintaining a consistent and globally coordinated regulatory framework.

Source: PR