What role for aviation in climate policy?

Key findings from this study

This research indicates that:

• International climate agreements for aviation lack enforcement mechanisms sufficient to deliver pledged emission reductions.
• Domestic policy levers including SAF mandates and ETS integration provide stronger compliance assurance than international voluntary frameworks.
• Fuel efficiency standards imposed by major aviation markets represent a viable alternative to international agreements.

Overview

This paper examines economic approaches to reducing carbon emissions in aviation through policy analysis. Aviation and shipping sectors share structural similarities as international industries with high abatement costs. The analysis addresses optimal prioritization of emission reductions in aviation and identifies policy mechanisms to achieve them. International climate agreements like Paris and Corsia face enforceability constraints that limit their effectiveness.

Methods and approach

The paper evaluates three distinct policy mechanisms for aviation emission reduction. First, European climate policy combining sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blending mandates with integration into the EU economy-wide emissions trading system (ETS). Second, the effectiveness of the Corsia agreement for international aviation. Third, fuel efficiency standards imposed by the EU or US on domestic aircraft manufacturers.

Results

The analysis reveals that current international agreements produce suboptimal mitigation outcomes due to enforceability limitations. The Paris agreement for domestic aviation and Corsia for international aviation operate within frameworks that cannot compel compliance, resulting in insufficient emission reductions relative to climate objectives. The EU's SAF blending mandate combined with ETS integration provides a more enforceable domestic mechanism. Fuel efficiency mandates by major aviation markets represent an alternative policy lever with distinct effectiveness profiles across regulatory jurisdictions.

Implications

Policy design for aviation decarbonization must account for enforceability constraints inherent to international agreements. Domestic regulatory approaches, particularly mandatory fuel standards and emissions trading integration, offer greater certainty in achieving emission targets than voluntary pledges. The aviation sector can adopt lessons from shipping regarding cross-border carbon governance, though structural differences between sectors limit direct policy transfer. Effective climate policy in aviation likely requires coordinated action among major aircraft manufacturing regions rather than reliance on single global mechanisms.

Scope and limitations

This summary is based on the study abstract and available metadata. It does not include a full analysis of the complete paper, supplementary materials, or underlying datasets unless explicitly stated. Findings should be interpreted in the context of the original publication.