Nations seek aviation climate pact despite global tensions

A United Nations body has begun global talks to hammer out a consensus on reducing airline emissions in the face of lingering discord over climate change and the impact of war in Ukraine. The 193-nation International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) assembly, held every three years, is the first since COVID-19 put pressure on policymakers to speed up reforms. It is also the first since Russia's invasion of Ukraine soured international dialogue on a range of issues and set off a political storm over the alleged seizure of foreign jets. Russia, which faces sanctions and a ban on the use of its airspace by Western airlines, urged the assembly to "stop the destructive actions of individual states," saying the carbon cost of skirting Russia rendered climate efforts "pointless". The West says Russia has illegally confiscated hundreds of foreign jets, a charge Moscow denies. Both sides are expected to air their positions during the gathering from Tuesday in ICAO's Montreal headquarters, once used as a Cold War back-channel. A top ICAO official called for unity on long-term issues dominating the 11-day talks. "I am very confident that member states ... will come with an open mind to find a common understanding and present a way forward towards aviation and sustainability which is a central theme in this assembly," Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar told Reuters. Airlines last year adopted a goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 in a de facto dress-rehearsal that drew reservations from Chinese carriers, reflecting Beijing's more cautious stance on multilateral action. Now the baton passes to governments, with airlines and their suppliers pressing for unity around the same goal to avoid destabilizing aviation. "Anything shy of that in this assembly will be viewed as a failure," Willie Walsh, director-general of the International Air Transport Association of global airlines, warned on Tuesday.<br/>