Delegates from nearly every part of the globe adopted Thursday a landmark deal on curbing carbon emissions from international flights at a meeting of the United Nations civil aviation body in Montreal, dpa reported. The Carbon Offset and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) approved by the 39th triennial Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) becomes the first global emissions pact covering a single industry. "This unprecedented agreement opens a new chapter in international aviation, where sustainability finally becomes part of the way we fly," European Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc said in a statement. "Europe has been continuously advocating global and coordinated action to address the growth of aviation emissions which was otherwise set to reach 300 per cent by 2050." The Montreal-based UN aviation agency wants to cap emissions from international flights at 2020 levels. The agreement becomes operational with a pilot phase from 2021 to 2026 after which participation would be mandatory for all eligible states. From 2021, flights between 65 states - including all EU countries - will be covered by a Global Market-Based Measure to offset CO2 emissions, Bulc said. States representing more than 80 percent of international traffic have already volunteered to participate in the pilot phase in 2021, said ICAO council president Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu in his opening address to the assembly, which began its work in Montreal on September 27. Around 80 per cent of the emissions above 2020 levels will be offset by the scheme between 2021 and 2035, Bulc said. "This deal is a decisive step towards the carbon neutral growth of aviation," Bulc said.
