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First-ever global emissions reduction target for aviation
A United Nations panel has set out the first-ever emissions reduction standards for the air industry, which will affect all new aircraft types by 2020.
All existing aircraft designs already in production will have to comply with the new targets by 2023.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) said any planes that don’t meet new standards by 2028 would be grounded indefinitely.
However, the standards, which were agreed after six years’ of talks, must still be approved by ICAO’s governing council later this year.
Aircraft account for about 2% of all carbon emissions globally but that rises to 3% in the US.
It has been welcomed by the White House with a spokesman saying it ‘is a big deal, a big step forward.’
However environmental groups say the measures don’t go far enough.
"These standards set the bar embarrassingly low, ensuring that almost all aircraft will already meet the requirements well before they go into effect in 2023. The aviation industry is sandbagging, which seriously hinders our efforts to meet the commitments we made in Paris," said Sarah Burt, a lawyer with Earthjustice.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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