- The International Civil Aviation Organization's agreement on an environmental policy came as welcome news to aviation industry leaders, who view it as an important step in keeping the regulation of aviation environmental policy within ICAO. ICAO concluded a three-day, high-level meeting on climate change in Montreal this month with the approval of a declaration that affirms the commitment to address aviation emissions and an agreement of a broad outline of measures.

These measures include a pledge to develop emissions standards for aircraft, to improve fuel efficiency by 2 percent each year through 2020 and to cut carbon emissions by 50 percent of 2005 levels by 2050.

The declaration also includes language backed by the International Business Aviation Council that ICAO would "explore the relevance of the&fuel efficiency metric to international business aviation." This was a key measure to ensure that any new standards are not summarily imposed upon business aircraft without consideration of whether the standards were applicable to private operations, said Edward Smith, senior vice president, international and environmental affairs for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.

While many of the specifics still need to be ironed out, aviation leaders were pleased that ICAO could bring an outline of positive steps to the U.N. climate change conference in December in Copenhagen. Absent such an agreement, Smith said, ICAO would be vulnerable to losing its ability to set the standards. "We're glad ICAO came to an agreement on a set of standards," Smith said. "Business and general aviation are committed to do its part under this framework."

The airline community also pledged its support, even though the 2 percent fuel efficiency went further than the 1.5 percent proposed by the International Air Transport Association. IATA Director General Giovanni Bisignani said the overall outcome was positive, and the meeting "delivered almost everything we wanted."

Photo credit: Bombardier