Effectiveness of ICAO Scheme Hinges on the Fine Print

摘要

The International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) 2016 agreement on a carbon offsetting scheme for international aviation, known as Corsia, seems even more historic after the US pulled out of the Paris climate accord. But there are serious concerns about the effectiveness of the market-based measure, with many outstanding issues to address and much of its rulebook still unfinished (JFI Oct.10’16). Aside from political questions about whether the US will continue to support the ICAO agreement, there are concerns about how the EU’s own goals for aviation emissions reductions will coexist with Corsia. There are also technical details to iron out, such as which credits should be used in the offset mechanism. Environmental groups are pressing for transparency to ensure ICAO offsets achieve their maximum environmental benefits.