As Identified in the Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the rate of mean global sea level rise since the mid-19th century has been higher than during the previous two millennia. The Report states that global mean sea level will continue to rise with very high confidence during the 21st century due to increased ocean warming and subsequent glacial and ice sheet melting primarily from Greenland and the Antarctic. On this specific point, it is clearly stated in the Special Report that: “Mass loss from the Antarctic ice sheet over the period 2007-2016 tripled relative to 1997-2006. For Greenland, mass loss doubled over the same period.” It becomes clear from the statement that the Special Report puts a strong emphasis on the dramatic loss of ice mass and its consequences on the rise of the sea-level. According to the 2018 IPCC Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C, it is estimated that human activities have caused approximately 1.0 degrees Celsius (°C) of global warming above pre-industrial levels. With high confidence the IPCC have stated that global warming is to reach 1.5 °C between 2030 and 2052 if GHGs emissions continue to increase at the current rate.
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), emissions from aviation accounts to 2% of the global carbon dioxide emissions, in particular emissions from international civil aviation counts for 2/3 of the total emissions from aviation. While this may seem like a relatively small amount, the prospective growth of this sector has the concrete potential to undermine the climate goal of keeping the temperature rise well below 1.5 degree Celsius.
This series explores legal issues at the international and domestic levels relating to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF+).
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Perspectives for SAF producers: An analysis of international legal frameworks impacting emissions trading – CORSIA and SAF- Draft policy brief Rosa Manzo – 10.04.2022
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Perspectives for SAF producers: An analysis of regional and sub-national emissions trading frameworks – CORSIA and SAF – Draft policy brief – Eoin McCullough – 13.04.2022-2
