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This video is from the Cop22 in Marrakech in November 2016. Press conference ICAO International civil aviation organisation’s plan to reduce emissions to help reach the maximum1.5c target. The executive secretary along with the president of the international civil aviation organisation were in attendance to talk about lowering emissions and how to adhere to the Paris agreement.
The president of the ICAO talks about developing the monetary reporting and verification system and how it will be able to get registered. The president talks about choosing the criteria for the system. Moreover the president talks about the “no country left behind” initiative and how they are working alongside that project along with others with help from donors. It sounds like the ICAO is sticking to its commitments and working hard towards the global climate caring goal.
Ms Patricia Espinosa the UNFC executive secretary talks about how she will be helping the ICAO to reach its goal of the ever increasing fuel efficiency and carbon neutral growth beginning in 2020. She adds that there is one essential rule from the Paris Agreement and that is “pledges to act must only go up and never down” and she reiterates this point. The UNFCCC spokesperson Nick Nuttall adds his astonishment at the fact that by the end of 2016 more than 5500 flights will have some measure of bio fuel in them which is quite an achievement.
The questions from the audience probe the speakers about the international maritime organisation. The secretary talks about transformational change and how they are encouraging them to change and improve on a daily basis. However a key question about the use of biofuels is put the president of the ICAO and he responds with detail. The president says he will be holding a conference in Mexico next year about the use of bio fuels in aviation and says everyone is invited. Moreover he talks about how the fuels have been confirmed as safe and how they can reduce the emissions and lower the carbon footprint by 80%. The president adds that the air traffic flow management will improve along with over all costing of the implementation will also improve. In addition the president of ICAO talks about their commitment to the lifecycle emissions in order to ensure that the emission reduction they are making will be a meaningful one.
Luckily it seems that biofuel has been put through the various checks and is deemed to be 100% safe and so all that’s left to do is to use the fuel. The president adds that biofuels are ready for use completely. With everything ready the president deems it possible to reach the carbon limit.
A decade ago, subsidies for biofuel growth and development in many countries (especially the U.S.) were high. However, better understanding of global warming, increased awareness of the fragility of the food supply, and a general trend toward “greener” alternatives have all led to a decline in the popularity of biofuels. In 2011, The U.S. Senate voted 73 to 27 to end tax credits and trade protections for corn-based ethanol production. As the second largest producer of ethanol, this is a substantial move that reflects the changing pressures on our energy needs and shifted focus to environmentally friendly energy sources.
Links: https://www.icao.int/Pages/default.aspx , http://biofuel.org.uk/
By Alex Mitchison
