Milestone
This is the formal diplomatic action where member states legally adopt the blueprints from the Short Term. This treaty will legally establish all harmonized standards, such as a single global mandate for 'cradle-to-cradle' circularity in aircraft design.
Without this formal ratification, all standards remain proposals. This blocks the compliance body from being established and prevents full mutual recognition of standards, halting the certification of new aircraft and the global deployment of new fuels.
Scenario
Optimising together
Context Factor
A unified global regulatory, legal, and data framework for the net-zero transition and seamless air travel.
Timeline
Medium term
PESTEL
Propose the blueprint for a global governance body built on collaborative frameworks.
This involves legal and financial experts drafting the foundational charter for a new global body. This blueprint will be based on stakeholder co-operation and resource sharing, not a top-down, penalty-based system.
Read moreFormally establish the global governance body as an operational reality.
This action transitions the governance body from a "blueprint" to a fully-resourced, operational reality. It involves all member states providing funding to officially launch the new entity (e.g., the 'World Aviation Authority').
Read moreAchieve full mutual recognition of certification standards among all regulatory blocs.
This is the critical bureaucratic step where all major regulatory blocs (e.g., EASA, FAA, CAAC) formally agree to accept each other's certifications for new decarbonised aircraft, such as an EASA certification for a hydrogen-electric engine being immediately and automatically accepted by the FAA.
Read moreComplete Type Certification for all net-zero aircraft classes, including high-speed.
This is the massive bureaucratic and engineering effort to achieve full Type Certification for all classes of new, net-zero aircraft. This involves proving to regulators (e.g., EASA, FAA) that the new novel fuselage designs, novel wings (e.g., truss-braced wing), and hydrogen powertrain systems are safe for commercial operations.
Read more"Additionally, advocating for global emission and technology standards would harmonize national and regional regulations on emission accounting and sustainable technologies, avoiding fragmentation in aviation markets. Global harmonization of SAF uptake would facilitate an equal playing field and prevent SAF from being exported to countries with less stringent regulations." (Destination 2050 (2025), p. 100)
"Harmonizing methodologies ensures that improvements can be tracked and integrated into ICAO’s Global Air Navigation Plan, supporting the goal of decarbonizing aviation, through operational improvements." (2025 ICAO Environmental Report, p. 09)
"To bridge aviation with other transport modes, stakeholders should enhance collaboration on common sustainability targets, such as net-zero emissions by 2050 and inclusive mobility while respecting the unique characteristics of each sector and the leadership roles of their respective organizations. Governments, aviation authorities, and transport sectors could work together in policy forums and regulatory frameworks to create a unified vision for sustainable mobility." (2025 ICAO Environmental Report, p. 471)