ACI Asia-Pacific welcomes ICAO agreement on climate change

ACI Asia-Pacific has welcomed the commitment by ICAO States to adopt a Long Term Aspirational Goal for civil aviation to reach net zero emission by 2050.

Director general, Stefano Baronci, said: “As a voice of 127 airport members, operating 618 airports across 46 countries, ACI Asia-Pacific welcomes governments’ support to adopt the 2050 Net-Zero Carbon goal for air transport.

“This is a landmark decision for our industry, and this commitment from the States is essential for achieving net zero emission.

“As we move forward, it is vital that we explore innovative solutions to address environmental challenges, and ACI Asia-Pacific and its airports members and World Business Partners commit to enhance their partnership with all aviation stakeholders in order to mitigate climate change in the Region.”

The UN governing body for civil aviation succeeded in setting net zero carbon emissions by 2050 aligning the industry’s climate goals with the Paris Agreement.

The Assembly establishes worldwide policy and guides governments’ in civil aviation, attracting more than 2,500 delegates, including, Ministers, Director Generals, and senior policy and decision makers.

In response to the net-zero carbon emissions goal, in May 2022, ACI Asia-Pacific unanimously passed a resolution urging its members to voluntarily commit to achieving net zero carbon emissions and develop action plans to meet this goal.

The commitment effectively involves proactively undertaking the necessary steps to reduce emissions by using low carbon technologies in airport operations and infrastructure management.

Airports in Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions have responded positively, with several of them advancing their net zero targets before 2050.

The agreement by States at the ICAO’s assembly will further reaffirm the industries commitment towards decarbonisation.