Press Release

Aviation and shipping emissions back in draft Paris climate deal

October 26, 2015

The reinsertion of international aviation and shipping emissions into the draft Paris agreement has been welcomed by sustainable transport group Transport & Environment after it was dropped from text issued by the talks’ co-chairs on 5 October. However, the draft’s language needs to be considerably strengthened if it is to help curb the two sectors’ growing climate impact, T&E said.

Bill Hemmings, clean shipping and aviation manager at T&E, said: “International aviation and shipping emissions are the elephants in the room for the UNFCCC. The Paris Agreement must send a clear signal – not a passing reference – to the UN bodies regulating these emissions, ICAO and IMO, that time is up and action is now due. The 2 degree global warming limit becomes next to impossible if Paris gives these sectors a free pass.”

Bill Hemmings concluded: “The latest text is the result of developed and developing countries cooperating on this issue for the first time. There is real hope now that Paris will close these gaping loopholes.”

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