NEW DELHI: Government today said it has opposed capping of aviation emissions at 2020 level as such a mechanism would adversely affect the growth of the sector in developing countries.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) General Assembly in Montreal had on October 7 this year passed a resolution, resolving to implement the world's first global regime for combating carbon emissions from aircraft.
The global market-based mechanism (GMBM) are aimed at making essential contributions towards aviation sector's goal of carbon neutral growth from 2020 onward.
While the airline industry agreed on this framework for reducing its carbon footprint to tackle climate change, India along with China and Russia expressed reservation over the resolution.
India's reservation primarily emanated from the Paris agreement, which recognized that the developing countries would take longer to reach peak emission, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.
"The Ministry of Civil Aviation, with the approval of Union Cabinet, expressed its reservations on capping of aviation emissions at 2020 level during the 39th session of ICAO's Assembly. India's reservation primarily emanated from the Paris agreement, which recognised that the developing countries will take longer to reach peak emission," Sinha said.
He said India "opposed the global market-based mechanism as it will adversely affect the growth of aviation sector in developing nations".
In reply to another question, the Minister said the estimated emission from Indian scheduled airline operators for the year 2015 were around 14.6 million tonnes.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation has taken various proactive initiatives to offset the higher aviation related emissions and CAR (Civil Aviation Requirement) in this regard is issued (from) time to time.
In September 2013, ICAO took a decision to develop a GMBM scheme to limit CO2 emissions in the aviation sector by way of participants offsetting their carbon emission above an agreed level by emission trading.