This morning I write from the Fira Congress Centre in Barcelona, where the UNFCCC Climate Talks are continuing. Most of the negotiations are occurring in so-called “closed session”, so it’s hard to gauge how the talks are going, aside from the gossip in the corridors. The gossip is not indicating a particularly positive outcome for the overall discussions and there is a lot of pessimism for how the talks will pan out in Copenhagen.
I thought it might be useful to examine some of the issues that are going to be a big part of the discussions going in to Copenhagen. Some of them directly impact aviation, some of them don’t.
Common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR)
Where better to start than with the most complex and contentious issue of them all – the difference between the developed world and the developing world. In UN climate change speak, they are called “Annex 1” (developed world) and “Non-Annex 1” (developing world) countries.
At the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, when the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change was first established, the developing countries managed to get a principle embedded in the discussions – that of common but differentiated responsibilities, or CBDR.
The basic concept behind this is that historically, it has been the developed world that has produced the most greenhouse gasses (CO2 stays in the atmosphere for around 100 years) and the access to ‘cheap’ energy through coal and oil has enabled their economies to prosper. The developing world wants to be able to experience the same growth and so they don’t believe they should have the same restrictions placed on them in terms of carbon emissions reductions. It is also very true to say that on a per-capita basis, people in the developed world emit far more than those in the developing world. Therefore, a lot of the targets that are agreed to at negotiations like those here in Barcelona are applied to “Annex 1” countries, but not “non-Annex 1”.
CBDR is the key principle guiding a lot of the discussions and is the main sticking point for a lot of the countries. The developing world wants to hold on to it at all costs. Some parties in the developed world are now saying that this division is artificial and all countries should reduce emissions, although the developing world can enjoy some concessions to encourage economic growth.
How does this impact aviation? Well, we don’t think it should impact our industry at all. Aviation is a global industry that crosses borders and moves between Annex 1 and non-Annex 1 countries every day. Airlines in the developing world use the same aircraft types as in the developed world. Airlines in some countries that are classed as developing are some of the most successful in the world. Air transport is also highly mobile – if there are different taxes and charges based on whether airlines fly into certain developing countries, it will create market distortion and lead to all sorts of issues where some airlines get preferential treatment over others, flying the same route and facing the same competitive pressures.
We think there should be one, single, global solution for our sector recognising the special circumstance we find ourselves in. It could even provide assistance to developing nation airlines and aviation systems to improve efficiency. In fact, this very principle of mutual assistance for the developing world it at the heart of a lot of the work that the UN civil aviation organisation ICAO has done throughout its history. In areas such as noise regulations, safety and security, there is a common set of standards worldwide. Those countries that can’t afford to implement them either get more time than developed countries, or assistance from those other parts of the industry that can move faster. It has worked to make aviation the safest form of transport on earth and we believe it is the most effective model for dealing with our climate change impact.
CBDR is a massive issue that is an awful lot larger than the aviation part of the discussions, it could potentially derail any Copenhagen talks and is proving to be a difficult issue here in Barcelona. If you have any questions about CBDR or the aviation approach to the issue, feel free to ask them in the comments.
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