GCAA hosts the ICAO Environment Workshop on reducing carbon emissions in Dubai

The ICAO Environment Workshop on reducing carbon emissions started today, June 14, which organized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and hosted by the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) from June 14 to 16, 2011 at Al Bustan Rotana Hotel in Dubai. 

In his inaugural address Mr. Omar Bin Ghaleb, Deputy Director General of UAE GCAA said: “We in the UAE recognize the importance of environment protection, as it became among the strategic priorities of the country, and part of the future plans to achieve comprehensive sustainability and protect our resources and assert the rights of people and next generations in this land”. “With the new global trends in addressing climate change issues, everyone is now aware of its negative impacts in the near future rather than long term impacts, as many islands are threatened to disappear, while climate change is affecting the whole globe, increasing floods and famine and natural disasters, and reducing our natural resources”. He added.

Bin Ghaleb continued: “The aviation sector, although contributing only 2% of pollution caused by transportation, recognizes its important role, with many countries initiating new standards and upgrading their fleets and setting up future plans to ensure the growth of the sector is in line with efforts to protect the environment”. 

Eng. Jehad Faqir, Deputy Regional Director of ICAO said in his speech: “ The reason of holding this workshop is to set in motion one of the critical elements of the resolution in international aviation and climate change adopted by the 37^th session of the ICAO Assembly last October, taking action to meet our global aspirational goals for international aviation and climate change”.

“Resolution of 37 assembly is a milestone in our collective drive to minimize the impact of aviation on climate change. It makes international aviation the first sector with global aspirational goals of stabilizing CO2 emissions at 2020 levels and achieving a 2 per cent annual increase in fuel efficiency”.

“Sustainable alternative fuels for aviation is another key element of the resolution.  They offer one of the most promising avenues for reducing aviation missions.” Mr. Faqir said. “The ICAO is now actively involved in promoting the formulation of regulatory and financial frameworks to enable those fuels to be available in timely manner and in sufficient quantities for use in aviation”. He added.

The workshop primarily focused on developing comprehensive action plans to protect the environment and decrease carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, encouraging member countries meanwhile to achieve optimal use of their fleets by equipping aircraft with energy-saving features and reduce the life of the aircraft, as well as updating the fleets with the latest models of aircraft with green technologies.

The workshop further explored the introduction to the basket of measures, including some positive implementation and experiences by different stakeholders such as Aircraft related technology development, alternative fuels, improve air traffic management and infrastructure use, regulatory measures, economic and market bases measures. In addition to identification of costs and benefits, present value for each ton of CO2 saved and managing risks.

The workshop also featured an interactive training course to develop the participants’ skills through hands-on training and providing them with information that enables them to set up action plans and submit them electronically so the ICAO could evaluate the situation and help countries partially and totally implement those plans, by assisting in facilitating financial and scientific resources as well as the required expertise. 

Around 40 representatives from civil aviation authorities and environment experts from the Middle East countries attended the workshop.