Responding to member feedback, NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen has clarified the organization’s position on any potential aircraft emissions deals under consideration at the two-week-long, triennial ICAO assembly that started yesterday. Earlier this week, NBAA said it welcomed signs that a proposal under consideration at ICAO might lead to a global compromise solution to addressing aircraft carbon emissions.

However, Bolen said NBAA remains “vigorously opposed” to the “fatally flawed” European Union emissions trading scheme (EU-ETS) and similar carbon trading programs. “We don’t want it in Europe or anywhere else for that matter,” he told AIN. “NBAA has consistently said that business aviation is a very small emitter and should not be part of any carbon-trading scheme. Our industry has a long track record of improving its environmental record through increased efficiency and adoption of new technology, all on its own.”

According to Bolen, NBAA does welcome the broader discussion among all ICAO states, not just those in the EU, and observers about aircraft emissions. “We welcome the international community coming together to steer the discussion away from the European approach,” he said. “Initial talks have just begun on the issue, so there is no agreement yet. We hope that the discussions are pivoting away from EU-ETS, though.”

The International Business Aviation Council, which counts NBAA as a member, is an observer representing business aviation’s interests at the ICAO meeting.