Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on transparency and corporate capture detailed in the InfluenceMap report entitled Corporate Capture and the UN International Civil Aviation Organization, published in September 2025; and if she will make representations on that issue ahead of the ICAO Council meeting on 23 March 2026.

The United Kingdom is an active and influential member of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The UK sits on the elected ICAO Council and participates in committees and working groups across the organisation, as we seek to maintain and improve the safety, security and sustainability of international aviation.

The UK, in our capacity as a Council member, has been actively involved in ICAO’s transformation programme which seeks to improve the accountability and transparency of the organisation.

With regard to the Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP), this is an expert body which provides ICAO with technical analysis and advice on environmental measures. Representatives of a range of industry groups and other stakeholders participate as observers, in support of the Committee’s membership of States. CAEP has a long history of collaboration to deliver strong technical outcomes, including standards for aircraft CO2, noise and pollutant emissions. In February 2025, CAEP recommended an updated CO2 standard requiring new aeroplane designs to reduce emissions by 10% after 2031, following an analysis that relied on industry data and expertise.

CAEP operates with enhanced safeguards due to the handling of commercially sensitive technical data, however the UK fully supports improving CAEP’s transparency where possible and further strengthening of governance arrangements.

The UK appreciates the collaborative working relationship between States and industry at ICAO, as we collectively seek to decarbonise the aviation sector.