ICAO Environmental Report 2010

"The future of air transport as a catalyst for the economic, social and cultural development of our global society is directly related to our collective ability to reach and maintain the sustainability of civil aviation operations worldwide. 

This will require substantial, sustained and coordinated efforts by the scientific community and the air transport industry, backed by the strong political will of ICAO Member States and the commitment of  concerned stakeholders. Together, we need to better understand, assess and monitor the impact of flight operations on the environment, while developing green technologies, operational measures and related policies to ensure an optimum balance between the growth of aviation and the need to protect the  environment. 

Addressing the myriad issues involved in dealing with climate change as a whole obviously calls for an unprecedented level of cooperation. As the official forum for international civil aviation, ICAO has led the drive for arriving at globally-harmonized solutions and for creating dynamic relationships with appropriate United Nations agencies.

The last three years have been particularly productive. Since the publication of the previous Environmental Report in 2007, ICAO adopted the Programme of Action on International Aviation and Climate Change, which included the first and only global agreement on goals for addressing climate change from a  sector, and we are further exploring more ambitious goals. Consensus on the essential role of alternative fuels for aviation, coupled with significant concrete achievements in that area, opened the door to new opportunities at that can bring significant contribution to the overall sustainability of aviation.

As we move ahead, ICAO will actively pursue the formulation of a CO2 Standard by 2013 and new guidance to facilitate the implementation of operational measures with enhanced environmental benefits. Focus will also be placed on a global framework  for market-based measures to reduce emissions – all initiatives undertaken with the support of ICAO’s Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP).

The impressive amount of work undertaken by ICAO, its Member States and the aviation industry  showcased in this ICAO Environmental Report 2010 can serve as a basis for discussions and decisions on how best to move ahead in a number of related fields. 

I wish to express my personal appreciation to the experts from various disciplines and organizations who have graciously provided the fruits of their labour, in some cases over many years, so that we may move forward with renewed vigour and confidence towards realizing our common vision of sustainable aviation in the decades to come."

Roberto Kobeh González (President of the Council of the ICAO) 

http://www.icao.int/icao/en/env2010/environmentreport_2010.pdf