Guyana participating in high-level aviation meeting in Canada

The Guyana is currently participating at the first International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) high-level meeting on a Global Market-Based Measure (MBM) Scheme.
The three-day meeting, being held at ICAO’s Headquarters in Montreal, Canada, commenced Wednesday. Guyana also participated in the ICAO pre-event briefing on Tuesday to familiarise participants with the elements of the global MBM Scheme.
The local delegation is led by Minister within the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Annette Ferguson, who has oversight of the civil

aviation sector in Guyana. She is accompanied by acting director of Guyana Civil Aviation Authority’s (GCAA’s) Air Transport Management, Saheed Sulaman.
The meeting had been organised to finalise a draft Assembly Resolution text on a Global Market-Based Measure Scheme which will be brought before the 39th Session of the ICAO Assembly in September 2016 in Montreal, for acceptance by all ICAO member states. Once the draft Assembly Resolution is accepted in September 2016, it becomes binding on all states.
The ICAO is working assiduously to achieve carbon neutral growth from 2020 through a “basket of measures” comprising technical, operational, and infrastructure enhancements; sustainable alternative fuels; a CO2 standard for aircraft; and the development of a global market-based measure.
The Global MBM Scheme being established by ICAO is to provide a framework where aircraft operators of participating member states can trade emissions through the sale or purchase of emission units arising from international aviation.
Currently, the ICAO is working with all its member states for them to prepare and submit an action plan for CO2 emissions reduction from its international aviation activities. The action plan essentially identifies the specific voluntary measures a state intends to take in order to improve efficiency and thereby contribute to CO2 emissions reduction.
Guyana will be addressing the development of a framework for CO2 emissions reduction from international aviation to submit its CO2 action plan to the ICAO which is a voluntary submission for now because of the country’s level of international aviation activities.
However, because of the global nature of aviation, setting up a framework for CO2 emissions reduction by ICAO member states from international aviation will become necessary in the near future as ICAO, a UN body, is set to implement its first and second phases of the Global MBM Scheme in 2020 and 2026 respectively.
The aviation sector plays a critical role in facilitating connectivity, trade, commerce and tourism and the resultant impact of climate change will have an effect on the development of the sector. Guyana’s aviation sector remains small in comparison to the rest of the world, however, the global rules and framework established by the ICAO will affect the country’s aviation activities as the rules sometimes do not take into consideration the challenges confronted by small developing states. It is therefore important that small states voice their views in the decision-making process.
The outcome of the ICAO High-level Meeting on Global MBM Scheme will see ICAO member states playing a greater role in the reduction of CO2 emissions and thereby a greater involvement in Climate Change initiatives.