Global Market-based Measure (GMBM) Scheme
Significant work has been undertaken by ICAO and its Member States, in cooperation with the aviation industry and other stakeholders, in developing a global MBM scheme for international aviation.
The final meeting of the Environment Advisory Group (EAG) in January 2016 considered a draft Assembly Resolution text on a global MBM scheme, which was developed taking into account the progress achieved and views expressed during previous EAG deliberations. The Council endorsed the EAG recommendation to establish the High-level Group on a Global MBM Scheme (HLG-GMBM), which met twice, in February and April, to make progress towards improving and clarifying the draft Assembly Resolution text.
In March-April, the Secretariat conducted a second round of Global Aviation Dialogues (GLADs) covering all ICAO regions, to provide all States with information on the relevant ICAO work and receive their feedback on the development of the scheme.
In May, the High-level Meeting on a Global MBM Scheme (HLM-GMBM) was convened to discuss the draft Assembly Resolution text and make recommendations to the Council.
In August, the “Friends of the President” meeting was convened to consider the results of bilateral and multilateral consultations by States over the summer related to the draft Assembly Resolution text, with a view to developing compromise text for consideration by the Council to finalize the draft text, for submission to the 39th Session of the Assembly.
These intense negotiations on a GMBM scheme and ICAO’s efforts to facilitate policy and technical discussions and undertake outreach activities led to the landmark Assembly agreement on a global market-based measure for international aviation.
The agreed Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) is the first global market-based measure that addresses CO2 emissions from any industry sector. As part of a broader basket of CO2 mitigation measures, the CORSIA agreement signalled the determination of ICAO and its Member States to achieve the international aviation sector’s aspirational goals, and demonstrated how the sector can complement the ambitions set out under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement in December 2015. In 2016, 66 States representing more than 86 per cent of international aviation traffic volunteered to participate in the CORSIA from its outset.
The Assembly requested the development of rules for: a monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) system; criteria for emissions units to be purchased by aircraft operators; and registries under the CORSIA. The Assembly also requested the expansion of the existing initiative for States’ Action Plans, in order to accommodate capacity-building and assistance for implementation of the CORSIA, such as seminars and training, and facilitation of financial support where needed. A series of possible partnerships on the CORSIA were also identified, including Germany’s pledge of support to ICAO on a pilot implementation project and the opportunity for ICAO and the World Bank to partner on a capacity-building project for the implementation of the CORSIA.
