Excerpted from an airline industry association report:

January 18, 2001
Meeting Summary: ICAO-CAEP/5 Environmental Progress Report

"ICAO’s Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) completed its work yesterday, having reached a number of important decisions over the past 10 days. The aviation industry achieved some major successes at this meeting.  However, a great deal of work remains to be done to ensure the airline industry's interests remain adequately protected in the future. Amongst the highlights of CAEP’s work are the following items:

Aircraft Noise

Stringency

CAEP agreed to recommend to the ICAO Council that Annex 16, Vol I of the Chicago Convention be amended to incorporate a new Chapter 4 with a cumulative stringency increase of —10 dB over current Chapter 3 levels. This new level of stringency shall become effective on 1 January 2006. CAEP agreed that this new noise standard is only intended for certification purposes of any newly manufactured airplane and not for the purpose of new operational restrictions such as phase-outs. This aligns with the IATA negotiating mandate.

Phase Out

CAEP agreed that the cost and benefit data do not justify the implementation of a “global” phase-out of Chapter 3 compliant aircraft in the North American, European and Asian countries. This represents a significant achievement for the industry. CAEP did not agree to accept the concept of a regional phase-out, e.g. for Europe within an ICAO framework. CAEP did agree that specific consideration should be given to exemptions from any new operating restrictions for airline operators from developing countries.

Balanced Approach and Regional Flexibility

CAEP agreed that aircraft noise problems can only be managed within the context of a “balanced approach” which combines reductions in noise at source with land-use management, noise abatement procedures, noise mitigation measures and operating restrictions on aircraft. No further agreement on the political issues associated with these concepts could be achieved. The issue will now be taken up by the ICAO Council as part of its review of CAEP.

Some States strongly supported the IATA position that a global framework is needed for this balanced approach, that aircraft noise problems should be handled at the local level and that a process must be established through which noise problems and solutions can be identified and evaluated in cost/benefit terms. Other states see the balanced approach as a mechanism through which they can achieve sufficient regional flexibility to implement a regional phase-out that they believe is required to solve the political problems they currently face.

Other Aircraft Noise Issues

•   Recertification: Good progress was made on harmonizing the different recertification policies of Member states. However, more work will be needed.
•   Noise Abatement Departure Procedures: New noise abatement take-off and climb procedures were agreed that should reduce aircraft noise on departure while assuring safety. These procedures will now be submitted to the ICAO Air Navigation Commission for approval.
 

Aircraft Emissions

Market-Based Options

CAEP agreed that open emissions trading provides the best long-term approach for the industry to limit or reduce aircraft emissions. It also endorsed voluntary agreements as a preferred mechanism for containing these emissions in the interim. Closed emissions trading was finally acknowledged to be unworthy of further consideration. All of these decisions were fully in line with IATA positions. The recommendations going forward to the ICAO Council and Assembly are completely silent on environmental taxes, another positive result. With respect to emissions charges, CAEP called for additional work to be undertaken to estimate the cost of such charges.

Operational Measures

CAEP endorsed the text of a manual on operational measures to reduce aircraft emissions that was produced by IATA with input from many Member airlines and manufacturers. This will be published as an ICAO Circular.
 

Conclusions and Next Steps

CAEP’s recommendations will go forward to the ICAO Council where they will be further refined and improved, particularly with respect to the balanced approach. A full report will be submitted to the ICAO Assembly in September. We will work closely with ICAO on these issues to protect and promote airline interests.

The airline industry achieved many, though by no means all, of its objectives. One reason for this success is that the airline community ensured that CAEP decisions were based upon sound technical input, particularly cost/benefit analysis of alternative policy options. Many airlines and airline associations provided resources to make this data available. In the years ahead, we will need to continue to ensure that the analytical tools are maintained and improved as new environment issues such as emissions trading and voluntary agreements receive greater attention."

FAA Recommendations to ICAO
November 2, 2000

The International Civil Aviation Organizations (ICAO) Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) will meet in Montreal January 8-17, 2001.  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the U.S. CAEP Member will submit several papers to support U.S. positions to be taken at that meeting and that reflect official U.S. positions on aviation environmental issues.

Federal Aviation Administration Recommendations:

• That the Interagency Group on International Aviation approve the attached paper on a cost comparison of current work on noise within ICAO with the U.S. Chapter 3 transition for presentation by the U.S. CAEP Member at the CAEP meeting in January 2001

Summary:

This paper provides perspective for the options currently under consideration by CAEP for noise reduction.  The costs for all of the current phase-out options under consideration appear to greatly exceed the costs associated with the phase-out from Chapter 2 to Chapter 3 aircraft.  This situation highlights the need for a thoughtful approach in considering a "Chapter 4" transition. 

CAEP54 Summary (39k Word)

• That the Interagency Group on International Aviation approve the attached paper on the review and update of annex 16, volume II, to address LTO emissions for presentation by the U.S. CAEP Member.    Summary:
   

  This paper proposes that CAEP should undertake an assessment of the adequacy and efficiency of the current aircraft engine emissions standards and recommended practices prescribed in Annex 16, Volume II.  The goal of this assessment would be to identify the required technical enhancements and improvements that are necessary to update the standards and increase their effectiveness in addressing emissions during the landing and takeoff cycle. 

  CAEP52 Summary (32k Word)

• That the Interagency Group on International Aviation approve the attached paper on the future management of environmental models for presentation by the U.S. CAEP Member at the CAEP meeting in January 2001.
   

  Summary:
   

  This paper suggests that ICAO establish a management plan to maintain the various models and related databases that have been developed within CAEP.  As environmental issues of aircraft noise and engine emissions gain more and more attention, and as the UNFCCC process debates aviation's impact on climate change, ICAO will need the capability to more precisely model aviation's impact on the environment and the effect of environmental initiatives on aviation.  The paper also suggests that environmental modeling capabilities be integrated as much as possible to provide a more efficient capability.

  CAEP53 Summary (23k Word)

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