Expanded European Aviation and Environment Working Group debates net zero emissions plans
26 March - The first meeting of the European Aviation and Environment Working Group (EAEG) (Expanded) with European stakeholders following the recent initiative to strengthen the engagement of all ECAC Member States in the group, was focused on the Destination 2050 Report: A Route to Net Zero European Aviation. The Destination 2050 initiative was presented by the five associations engaged in it (A4E, ACI EUROPE, ASD, CANSO and ERA), along with the authors of the supporting study from the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) and SEO Amsterdam Economics.
The online meeting gathered more than 100 participants. It offered a great opportunity for the 32 ECAC Member States represented to have a better understanding of this initiative, including the set of commitments developed by the five associations to reach net zero emissions, on the basis of the report, as well as of the identified need for support from European policymakers to create the appropriate policy frameworks and provide the necessary assistance when needed. Participants demonstrated particular interest in the assessment work undertaken in that context, and the assumptions behind it.
This initiative to strengthen and widen the engagement of States in the group was taken by the Environment Programme Management Group (EPMG), led by Rannia Leontaridi, the ECAC Focal Point for Environment. With the nomination of representatives from Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Lithuania and Slovenia, this group now includes 35 ECAC Member States.
The closed meeting of EAEG (Expanded) which followed in the afternoon of 26 March was dedicated to exchanges of views and information between the 80 participants from ECAC Member States and European organisations regarding the feasibility of a long-term aviation goal, and significantly progressed preparations for the 156th meeting of ECAC Directors General (DGCA/156) on 5 May.