Action Plan
Aviation and Environment
Aviation is an important as well as an essential service sector around the world. Air transport is a formidable catalyst which propels the economic growth, social and cultural development of a country. Globally, air traffic is expected to increase at a growth rate of 4.5% whereas Sri Lanka has recorded a growth of Revenue Tonne Kilometres (RTKs) of 8% considering the last 10 years. Identifying the adverse effect that aviation emissions could impose on the environment, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has placed significant emphasis in drawing up various schemes to protect the environment with the active participation of its 191 Contracting States. As a result ICAO has prioritized ‘environmental protection’ as one of the key strategic objectives of the organisation in its current work plan.
Consequently identifying the States’ obligation as the national regulator, Sri Lanka has submitted the State Action Plan for Emission Reduction outlining the current emission level of Sri Lanka and the mitigation measures that Sri Lanka would implement to reduce the current emission level attributes from the Sri Lankan operators conducting international air transportation services.
In order to implement the measures proposed by the Civil Aviation Authority on behalf of Sri Lanka, series of meetings were conducted with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the other key aviation and non-aviation stakeholders with the objective to the feasibility of the measures proposed and also to identify additional and more efficient measures such as technological and operational improvements towards aviation emissions reduction.
In this process it was decided to formulate two (02) working groups, one with the participation of key aviation industry stakeholders and the other, with the involvement of the energy sector. The aviation Core Working Group includes Ministry of Civil Aviation, Civil Aviation Authority of Sri Lanka, SriLankan Airlines, Mihin Lanka, FITS Aviation, Airport and Aviation Services Sri Lanka Ltd and SriLankan Catering Ltd. The other working group, in addition to the above aviation sector stakeholders, includes key energy sector stakeholders, Ministry of Environment, Central Environmental Authority, Academics and Researchers who would evaluate the feasibility of production and/or use of bio fuel and implementation of emission offset schemes.
Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA)
Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) was agreed by the 2016 ICAO general assembly as part of a basket of measures intended to and ensure carbon-neutral growth in international aviation from 2020.
The First Edition of the International Standards and Recommended Practices, Environmental Protection –Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) (Annex 16,Volume IV to the Convention on International Civil Aviation) was adopted by the Council at the tenth meeting of its 214th Session on 27June 2018.
Using of a phased implementation for the CORSIA to accommodate the special
circumstances and respective capabilities of States, in particular developing States, while minimizing market distortion, and the three phases can be identified as follows:
1) Pilot phase applies from 2021 through 2023 to States that have volunteered to participate in the scheme.
2) First phase applies from 2024 through 2026 to States that voluntarily participate in the pilot phase, as well as any other States that volunteer to participate in this phase, with the calculation of offsetting
3) Second phase applies from 2027 through 2035 to all States that have an individual share of international aviation activities in RTKs in year 2018 above 0.5 per cent of total RTKs or whose cumulative share in the list of States from the highest to the lowest amount of RTKs reaches 90 per cent of total RTKs, except Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) unless they volunteer to participate in this phase.
CORSIA shall apply to all aircraft operators on the same routes between States with a view to minimizing market distortion, as follows:
- All international flights on the routes between States, both of which are included in the CORSIA
- All international flights on the routes between a State that is included in the CORSIA and another State that is not included in the CORSIA
- All international flights on the routes between States, both of which are not included in the CORSIA are exempted from the offsetting requirements of the CORSIA, while retaining simplified reporting requirement
The CORSIA calls for States to assist in establishing a global emissions 2019-2020 baseline and airlines will then have to offset any growth in emissions above that baseline.
There are a number of exemptions for the offsetting phase of the CORSIA, participation in the Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) of emissions – in order to establish the global emissions baseline - is mandatory. Therefore, Sri Lanka undertake MRV for Sri Lankan based airlines with international operations.
Implementations by Sri Lanka
|
Implementations |
Date |
01. |
Designate a focal point for CORSIA implementation |
2018 |
02. |
Participate in ICAO’s CORSIA training and capacity building |
2018 |
03. |
Issued IS 098 |
01.12.2018 |
04. |
Approve Emissions Monitoring Plan submitted by Aeroplane Operator (Sri Lankan Airlines) |
30.04.2019 |
05. |
Notify ICAO to State’s participation in CORSIA offsetting in year 2021 |
30.06.2020 |
06. |
Conducted an order of magnitude check of the verified Emissions Report for 2019 submitted by Aeroplane Operator and the verification body |
30.10.2020 |
07. |
Update emission report in CORSIA central registry |
03.11.2020 |
08. |
Update list of International airlines in CORSIA central registry |
02.12.2020 |