Nigeria has notified the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to join in the implementation of the CO2 Emissions Mitigation Measures and Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) in 2021.
Director-General, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Captain Muhtar Usman who disclosed this in Lagos during the opening of a three-day workshop by the International Air Transport Association, IATA said Nigeria had developed and submitted its State Action Plan to ICAO while it has also voluntarily notified it that it will join CORSIA implementation from the outset during the pilot phase from 2021.
“I am pleased to inform you that Nigeria has not only developed and submitted its State Action Plan to ICAO but has also voluntarily notified ICAO that it will join CORSIA implementation from the outset during the pilot phase from 2021 with a view to being on the same page with the rest of the world on emissions mitigation measures”.
Usman said, the decision to join in the CORSIA implementation is with a view to being on the same page with the rest of the world on emissions mitigation measures.
According to Usman,“As we all may be aware, aviation plays an essential role in the economic growth and market access for the world economy. The rapid growth of air travel in recent years however contributes to an increase in total pollution attributable to aviation. Thus, decided to provide leadership to undertake efforts to reduce aviation’s contribution to climate change,”.
He observed that the workshop is designed to provide national action plan focal points and aviation industry stakeholders with practical input on the calculation of the CO2 emissions baseline and other quantification aspects as well as share information on CORSIA’s design elements and implementation aspects, including the work being undertaken on the development of standards and recommended practices (SARPs) and guidance material for CORSIA.
He assured the stakeholders that that ‘NCAA is committed to actively provide dynamic, purposeful and imaginative leadership in addressing the challenges posed by emissions from aviation and climate change in our region’, urging all participants to ensure that the opportunity provided by the seminar is fully optimized so as to achieve all the objectives that have been set forth.
Secretary-General, African Civil Aviation Commission, AFCAC, Ms. Iyabo Sosina said the commission is is committed to ensuring that all its member states develop and submit to ICAO their States’ Action Plans on CO2 emissions reduction measures before June, 2018.
Ms. Sosina, represented by AFCAC’s Director of air transport, Mr. Tefera Mekonen Tefera, said the secretariat was mandated to implement the task in partnership with ICAO and other stakeholders.
“Consequently, AFCAC took a decision to collaborate with ICAO and ECOWAS to organize this additional Workshop/Seminar to build capacity and assist these member States having challenges in developing their State Action Plans as well as to facilitate the engagement of the “ICAO Buddy Program” among States.
He added,“Due to the clear synergy between State Action Plans and CORSIA, this workshop/seminar is also designed to upgrade the understanding of participants so that they can have a better grasp of the functioning, implications and benefits of their States participating in the pilot and first phases of the scheme”.
He said the list of states that are yet to complete their Action Plans shows that 11 States are from the ICAO-WACAF region and are all members of ECOWAS, meaning that, only four ECOWAS member States have so far completed and submitted their States’ Action Plans to ICAO.
