Walsh
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) joined forces with the governments of Japan and Malaysia and a broad coalition of industry stakeholders on 18 November 2025 to issue a joint statement at COP30, calling for a reinforced global framework to achieve net‑zero carbon emissions from aviation by 2050.
The signatories warned that fragmented or unilateral measures would undermine progress and urged the international community to uphold the exclusive authority of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as the sole regulator of international aviation emissions.
Speaking on behalf of IATA, Director General Willie Walsh said the aviation sector is a catalyst for global connectivity and economic development, but reaching net‑zero emissions by 2050 will require governments to reaffirm ICAO’s role, fully implement the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and operationalise Article 6 of the Paris Agreement to unlock climate finance for developing nations.
“Fragmented taxes and levies will not cut emissions—they risk diverting funds from real emission‑reduction investments and weakening the very connectivity that supports billions of people,” Walsh warned.
The joint statement reaffirmed ICAO’s central role under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, urging all states to avoid duplicating mechanisms across international processes.
It also called for the strengthening of CORSIA, noting that in its first phase from 2024 to 2026 airlines are expected to purchase upwards of 200 million credits, generating between USD 4 billion and USD 5 billion, with the scheme projected to offset nearly two billion credits through 2035.
This climate finance, the statement said, will directly support high‑quality, independently verified emission‑reduction projects, particularly in developing countries, advancing the goals of the Paris Agreement and promoting sustainable development, technology transfer and job creation.
Urgent implementation of Article 6 was another key demand, with the signatories encouraging host countries to issue Letters of Authorization and enable the release of CORSIA‑Eligible Emissions Units to mobilise international climate finance.
The statement cautioned against taxes and levies, such as ticket taxes proposed by emerging coalitions, arguing that these measures are not effective climate instruments and could impair investment capacity in genuine emission‑reduction projects, disproportionately harming developing economies and Small Island States.
The joint appeal was signed by the governments of Japan and Malaysia, as well as a suite of industry bodies including Airlines for Europe (A4E), the Arab Air Carriers Organization (AACO), Airports Council International (ACI), the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA), the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and several other regional and global aviation associations.
The call comes as the COP30 agenda emphasizes the Baku‑to‑Belem Roadmap, which seeks to scale up climate finance and ensure that aviation’s growth remains sustainable while supporting the broader goals of the Paris Agreement.
The signatories stressed that only a coordinated, ICAO‑led approach can deliver the emissions cuts needed to keep the sector on a net‑zero trajectory by mid‑century.
