The International Air Transport Association (IATA), alongside the governments of Japan, Malaysia and key industry partners, has issued a joint statement at COP30 calling for strengthened global coordination to help the aviation sector reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The signatories urge governments to reaffirm the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as the sole authority for regulating international aviation emissions, warning that fragmented national or regional measures risk undermining progress. They argue that only a unified global framework can deliver credible, long-term climate outcomes for the sector.
The statement also underscores the importance of well-functioning global carbon markets in unlocking climate finance—an issue high on the COP30 agenda and central to the Baku to Belém Roadmap.
“Aviation is a catalyst for global connectivity and economic development. To achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, governments must reaffirm ICAO’s role as the single global authority, fully implement CORSIA, and operationalise Article 6 to unlock climate finance for developing nations,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General. “Fragmented taxes and levies will not cut emissions—they risk diverting funds from actual emission-reduction investments and will only weaken connectivity and harm those who depend on it most.”
The statement reasserts ICAO’s mandate under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol as the exclusive forum for managing international aviation emissions. It urges countries to avoid duplicating mechanisms across different processes, arguing that parallel systems could dilute effectiveness.
Governments are called on to reinforce the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), endorsed by all 193 ICAO member states. Under CORSIA’s First Phase (2024–26), airlines are expected to purchase more than 200 million credits—equivalent to USD 4–5 billion in climate finance—with demand projected to rise sharply through 2035 as nearly 2 billion credits are expected to be offset.
This finance, the statement notes, will flow to high-quality, independently verified emission-reduction projects, particularly in developing nations, advancing Paris Agreement goals while supporting technology transfer, sustainable development and job creation.
The signatories emphasise the urgent need for host countries to operationalise Article 6 of the Paris Agreement by issuing Letters of Authorisation and enabling the supply of CORSIA-Eligible Emissions Units (EEUs). This, they say, is essential to scale up international climate finance.
The statement cautions against the rising trend of ticket taxes and other unilateral fiscal measures proposed by various coalitions. These, it argues, are not effective climate tools and could divert investment away from genuine emission-reduction solutions. Such measures, the signatories warn, risk damaging air connectivity and disproportionately affecting developing economies and Small Island States.
The joint statement reflects a coordinated push from industry and government actors to anchor aviation climate efforts within ICAO’s global framework, ahead of a critical decade for decarbonising the sector.
