There ended up being no direct reference to international aviation in the final text, we expect partially because there were much 'bigger' issues to concentrate on and also because ICAO and the industry remain fully focused on the aviation climate challenge and are working hard to deliver solutions under the ICAO mandate.
The industry’s own progress on cutting CO2 emissions has been very encouraging and the global industry’s strategy will be instrumental in achieving its three global goals. If you haven’t already seen it, check out the Aviation Climate Solutions, which showcases 101 examples of this work already underway worldwide.
Still, everyone in the industry knows that there needs to be a political settlement if the goals are to be achieved. This is due to be drawn up next year at the ICAO Assembly, where we expect the final agreement of a market-based measure for aviation. What COP21 has achieved, from an aviation perspective, is crucial global momentum towards addressing climate change, which we are sure will be taken forward to ICAO. We are all hopeful that the commitment shown by government extends to supporting the sustainable development of aviation, even if it is not part of the Paris agreement. As industry leaders set out in their open letter to governments, there are plenty of ways the governments of the world can assist the industry in moving forward.
If you would like to hear more about the industry's position on the COP21 outcome, check out the post-conference statement.