The steps taken by the Government to promote sustainable aviation practices and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from aviation sector, inter alia, include:
(i) DGCA has adopted the guidelines for environmental protection developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) through its Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and issued it in the form of Civil Aviation Regulations (CARs).
(ii) To realise the goals of decarbonisation of Aviation Sector, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoP&NG) has constituted a Bio-Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) Programme Committee to take forward the Bio-ATF programme in the country to promote use of clean fuels. The terms of reference of the Committee included, inter-alia, raw materials production/demand, technology, BIS Standards, effects on engine performance etc. The Committee has submitted its report with recommendations to MoP&NG.
(iii) Ministry of Civil Aviation has written to the operators of all the brownfield airports with scheduled operations and developers of the upcoming greenfield airports advising them to work towards achieving ‘Carbon Neutrality’ and ‘Net Zero’, to get accreditation by Airports Council International (ACI/ISO 14064 through empaneled verifiers) and to adopt carbon mitigation measures as well as carbon management plans.
(iv) Airports Authority of India has taken initiatives such as Energy Intensity Data publication aimed at reducing energy intensity for existing as well as upcoming airport projects. A training module has also been created as a part of induction training programme for Air Traffic controllers to sensitise them towards carbon neutrality.
(v) Airports Authority of India, in consultation with Indian Air Force, has optimised airspace utilisation under Flexible Use of Airspace (FUA) resulting in reduction of CO2 emission.
(vi) In order to achieve ICAO’s aspirational goal of Carbon Neutral Growth from 2020 onwards, ICAO has adopted a market based measure Carbon Offsetting Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) to reduce carbon emissions from international aviation. India, being a Member State of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), is under obligation to comply with the mandatory phase of CORSIA from 2027.
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