Assessing post-pandemic State Action Plans for aviation’s contribution to climate change: lessons learned and pathways forward

Keywords: aviation, emissions, policy, climate change
Abstract Type: Paper Abstract

Abstract

The international aviation industry is a long-standing contributor to climate change because of its proportionally large and growing release of greenhouse gas emissions. Over the years, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), has encouraged member states to develop long term strategies for addressing climate change impacts from the aviation industry, which are known as State Action Plans (SAPs). As the industry begins to return to growth following the significant challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many are thinking of ways to “build back greener” and implement decarbonization technologies and strategies. States are also revising their SAPs in this “post-COVID era” with 67 new plans having been published in 2021 and 2022. Using a comparative policy and content analysis of these plans, this research looks for evidence of more stringent mitigation proposals, including reference to the scope of the emissions coverage, selected mitigation measures, anticipated emissions reductions, and importantly also looks for any evidence of policy transfer or lesson drawing between states, and between states and ICAO’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). Given that a cornerstone of CORSIA is State-to-State partnerships, it seems important to understand if these lesson drawing activities occur more broadly beyond just CORSIA implementation. Findings will provide recommendations for the aviation industry to better tackle the GHG emissions issue and get on the pathway towards net zero.