The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has just issued its latest progress report on the phase-out of in-flight emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx).

This report, which updates the body’s goals agreed at its Montreal conference in December 2016, sets a “firm timeline” to complete the implementation of this phase-out by 2023.

The ICAO continues to aim to achieve global emissions-free aviation by 2050. The report notes that the 90% of flights that carry passengers currently take place in the International Energy market, and so are on track to emit twice as much carbon dioxide (CO2) as the Airbus A380 – the largest commercial aircraft on the market today.

In its 2019 report, published in August, the organisation states that six countries already have statutory commitments to cut CO2 emissions by 30% by 2023, and that the European Union and China have launched EU and China 2025 long-term plans, respectively, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the transport sector. These efforts coincide with the ICAO’s efforts to cut CO2.

In May 2019, the ICAO will release its report on its Intergovernmental Agreement for Aviation Lifting Policies (IGA-ALP), which will tackle reducing CO2 emissions by 2050.