The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has paid great attention to protecting the international civil aviation environment. The ICAO member states who are signatories to the Chicago Convention have agreed to focus their environmental cooperation in international civil aviation on three key areas:
Climate change and aviation emissions
Aircraft noise
Local air quality
The organization has prepared an environmental guidance manual, Annex 16 to the Chicago Convention, which contains four volumes on: aircraft noise, aircraft engine emissions, carbon dioxide emissions from aircraft, and the Korea Action Plan. The organization updates standards and guidance material on environmental issues based on the latest available science and scientific knowledge regarding the impacts of civil aviation industry activities on the environment.
ICAO seeks to contribute to achieving the Paris Agreement goal of keeping the temperature rise below two degrees Celsius. An ambitious long-term goal (LTAG) has been adopted to reduce the negative impacts of international civil aviation activities on the global climate by achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
To achieve the ambitious long-term goal, ICAO has adopted a Basket of Measures that includes mitigation measures that can be taken to reach the set goal, including: aircraft technology improvements, operational improvements, sustainable aviation fuel, and global market-based measures (the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation - CORSIA).
Source: Climate Change (icao.int)
According to studies, alternative aviation fuel can achieve the largest share of emissions reduction from international civil aviation (55% by 2050). Alternative aviation fuels include:
In 2010, ICAO launched the State Action Plan initiative for reducing CO2 emissions to enable member states to develop a long-term strategy on climate change in international aviation by determining a baseline scenario for CO2 emissions from international civil aviation, selecting appropriate emissions mitigation measures from the set identified by the organization, and calculating the expected results from implementing those measures (State Action Plans and Assistance (icao.int))
To achieve net zero by 2050 and implement international commitments in civil aviation environmental protection, the Civil Aviation Authority has made efforts to enhance measures to reduce the environmental impacts of international civil aviation activities. An Aviation Environmental Protection Department has been established to follow up on implementing local and international commitments related to aviation environmental protection, as well as contribute to developing policies and laws related to the sector in addition to collecting and analyzing environmental statistics as required.
According to the Civil Aviation Law issued by Royal Decree No. 76/2019, the Civil Aviation Authority has the authority to issue regulations related to protecting the environment from the impacts of civil aviation activities in accordance with international standards and Oman’s applicable legislation, in coordination with relevant entities. The Civil Aviation Authority works on issuing guidelines and systems to ensure achieving its environmental objectives that are in line with national and international commitments.
An Aviation Environmental Protection Committee has also been formed at the Authority chaired by the Director General of Civil Aviation Regulation with membership of the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Environment Authority, relevant aviation operators, and Oman Airports. This committee is tasked with following up on implementing the responsibilities and duties stipulated in ICAO’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) in addition to studying ICAO policies and resolutions related to aviation environmental protection and following up on Oman’s compliance with implementing them.
Oman and other ICAO member states adopted Assembly Resolution A39-3 on the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) at the 39th Session of the ICAO Assembly held from 27 September to 7 October 2016. Oman was one of the states that formally expressed (in June 2017) its intention to voluntarily participate in CORSIA from the pilot phase onwards. The Civil Aviation Authority coordinated with Oman’s international civil aviation operators (“Oman Air” and “SalamAir”) to provide all data and operational requirements for the CORSIA plan.
In line with Oman’s commitment to achieve net zero by 2050 and implement international commitments in aviation environmental protection, Oman submitted a State Action Plan for Reducing CO2 Emissions from International Civil Aviation to ICAO. The plan outlined the expected future air traffic growth in Oman as well as the amount of expected emissions from international civil aviation until 2050, and mitigation measures that can be taken to reduce emissions from international civil aviation according to ICAO’s Basket of Measures, which included technical and operational improvements and global market-based measures (CORSIA).