Decarbonising the aviation sector requires global action, Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan has told the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Assembly in Montreal.

The UK is attending the Assembly with the aim of reaching agreements that help secure the sustainability and resilience of global aviation.

During the Transport Secretary’s opening statement, ICAO – the United Nations’ body in charge of ensuring aviation is safe, secure, and environmentally friendly – was urged to adopt a long-term goal to clean up the sector and reduce its emissions in line with the Paris Agreement.

The secretary of state also highlighted the need for countries around the world to learn lessons from the international response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and to ensure the global aviation sector is better prepared for future threats, such as public health crises.

‘We cannot ignore the threat’

Trevelyan said: “We value international aviation’s important contribution to global commerce, travel and tourism, and to economic growth globally. Now it must do so sustainably. Failure here puts the future of aviation itself at risk.

“We cannot ignore the threat that rising temperatures pose to our planet. This year alone we have seen extreme weather events affect all of our regions.

“As one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions, aviation has an important role to play in tackling climate change.”
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