ACI World and industry partners call for strengthened global cooperation on aviation climate action

Belem, Brazil, 19 November 2025 – Airports Council International (ACI) World together with the governments of Japan, Malaysia, and leading industry stakeholders have issued a joint statement at COP30, urging governments and the international community to reaffirm the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)’s leadership and accelerate coordinated climate action for aviation to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Specifically, the signatories highlight the need for global solutions, emphasizing that ICAO remains the exclusive forum for addressing international aviation emissions. The signatories caution against fragmented or unilateral measures, stressing that only a unified approach can deliver effective climate results for the sector. The signatories also stress the role of robust global carbon markets in scaling up climate finance opportunities, which is high on the COP agenda and central to the Baku to Belem Roadmap.

Key points from the joint statement:

• ICAO’s central role: The statement reaffirms ICAO’s authority, established under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, as the sole body for regulating international aviation emissions. The signatories urge all States to uphold ICAO’s leadership and avoid duplicating mechanisms across international processes.
• Strengthening CORSIA: The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), approved by all 193 ICAO Member States, is a cornerstone for achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. In CORSIA’s First Phase (2024–26), airlines are expected to purchase upwards of 200 million credits, generating USD 4–5 billion which will increase steeply in the following years, given that the scheme is expected to offset nearly 2 billion credits through 2035. This climate finance will directly support high-quality, independently verified emissions-reduction projects — particularly in developing countries — significantly advancing the objectives of the Paris Agreement and promoting sustainable development, technology transfer, and job creation.
• Urgent implementation of Article 6: The statement calls on all host countries to operationalize Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, issue Letters of Authorization (LoAs), and enable the release of CORSIA-eligible emissions units (EEUs). These steps are essential to mobilize international climate finance and support sustainable development.
• Opposition to taxes and levies: The signatories caution that taxes and levies, including those proposed by emerging coalitions, are not effective climate instruments and risk negatively impacting investment capability into real emission reduction projects. Their primary purpose is revenue generation, not emissions reductions. As such, those measures can negatively affect connectivity and disproportionately impact developing economies and small island states that rely on air transport as an economic lifeline.

ACI World Director General Justin Erbacci said: “ACI and its member airports are fully committed to building a sustainable aviation system.  Taxing aviation without reinvesting in aviation, as the Global Solidarity Levy Task Force has proposed, risks slowing, not accelerating, connectivity and decarbonization.  The aviation sector must be empowered—not penalized—if we want to achieve long-term global progress.”

The signatories of the joint statement are:

• The governments of:
  – Japan
  – Malaysia
• A4E – Airlines for Europe
• AACO – Arab Air Carriers Organization
• ACI – Airports Council International
• AIRE – Airlines International Representation in Europe
• ALTA – Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association
• AASA – African Airlines Association
• ASPA – Association of South Pacific Airlines
• ATAG – Air Transport Action Group
• ERA – European Regions Airline Association
• IATA – International Air Transport Association
• IBAC – International Business Aviation Council
• ICCAIA – International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations
• NACC – North American Carriers Committee
• WTTC – World Travel & Tourism Council

About ACI 

Airports Council International (ACI), the trade association of the world’s airports, is a federated organization comprising ACI World, ACI Africa, ACI Asia-Pacific and Middle East, ACI EUROPE, ACI Latin America and the Caribbean and ACI North America. In representing the best interests of airports during key phases of policy development, ACI makes a significant contribution toward ensuring a global air transport system that is safe, secure, efficient, and environmentally sustainable. As of January 2025, ACI serves 830 members, operating 2,181 airports in 170 countries.
Editor notes

1.Read the Joint Statement: Global aviation, global responsibility: advancing climate action through ICAO.