Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether her Department plans to include the aviation and shipping sectors in the net zero emissions target.

Domestic aviation and shipping emissions are already within our legislated targets. International aviation and shipping emissions are not currently included within the UK’s legislative targets under the Climate Change Act. However, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) have, to date, taken account of emissions from international aviation and shipping when providing their advice on setting carbon budgets, enabling us to leave ‘headroom’ for these emissions in our plans.

The CCC recently provided advice on international aviation and shipping, and the Government will now consider that advice carefully. The Department for Transport is committed to setting a clear ambition for the aviation sector and will shortly be publishing its position on aviation and climate change for consultation.

The Government recognises that international aviation emissions are a global problem that require a global solution. It is vital that we find an answer that does not simply displace emissions elsewhere across the world. The UK will therefore continue to lead the way. . For example, we are committed to the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which was agreed in 2016 and is the first worldwide scheme to address CO2 emissions in any single sector. The UK is also negotiating for ICAO to agree a long-term emissions reduction goal by its 41st Assembly in 2022.