Brussels, 07 October 2022: ACI EUROPE has today welcomed ICAO’s announcement of a Long Term Aspirational Goal for global aviation to reach net zero CO₂ emissions by 2050. The result of the two week long political negotiations aligns international aviation’s climate objective with the goals enshrined in the Paris Agreement – as well as with the net zero pledge made by the aviation industry last year.
 
Olivier Jankovec, ACI EUROPE Director General said: “ICAO’s global commitment to aviation’s net zero future is a key milestone for the industry and for the climate. The industry’s ambition is now finally being met at the political level globally. We now need ICAO to urgently work on concrete implementation policies and actions - guiding States across the World towards delivery and supporting the industry in the transition.” 
 
Europe’s airports have long been at the forefront of effective climate mitigation in aviation as the first subsector of the global air transport industry to fully commit to reaching net zero CO₂ emissions by 2050. More than 270 airports in the ACI EUROPE network have already individually committed to the net zero 2050 pledge¹, representing 75.5% of European air passenger traffic (as per 2019 traffic levels) with nearly 50% of airports who now have even more ambitious net zero targets in their sights.
 
For more than a decade, airports have also been delivering tangible CO₂ reductions year after year through Airport Carbon Accreditation. From its launch as a European initiative in 2009, the programme has expanded to its current global span. It is clear that decarbonisation happens at different speeds across world regions and any climate policy framework, if it is to be successful, needs to take into account regional differences in progression.
 
At the European level, the EU institutions are working to accelerate the implementation of the European Green Deal, including proposals on how to reach -55% CO₂ emissions by 2030 through the Fit for 55 regulatory package. The European aviation eco-system supports this ambition and is working with the institutions on necessary adjustments to the files².