ICAO commits to accelerate Air transport decarbonisation
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has reached a compromise agreement to reduce CO2 emissions by 5% by 2030 through increased use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) at its third Conference on Alternative Aviation Fuels (CAAF/3), which ended on 24 November 2023 in Dubai.
Recognizing the critical role of SAF in achieving the goal of carbon-neutral aviation by 2050, the global aviation community gathering in Dubai set measurable targets for the nearer 2030 horizon and adopted a global framework that is expected to accelerate the production and deployment of these fuels.
Key elements of the framework include a "collective vision" for the transition to clean energy that will provide a harmonized regulatory framework, support initiatives, skills and technology transfer, and improved access to finance for developing countries so that "no country is left behind".
Within the framework of this vision, the specific circumstances and respective capacities of each State will have to be taken into account, without specific obligations or commitments for emissions reductions.
The Chairman of the ICAO Council, Salvatore SCIACCHITANO, stressed in his closing speech that "the role of the Framework is to facilitate the scaling up of the development and deployment of SAF, LCAF and other cleaner energies for aviation worldwide, primarily by providing greater clarity, consistency and predictability to all stakeholders, including those beyond the aviation sector".
In addition, the framework will support the aviation sector's clean energy transition, which is necessary to achieve the current goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, as adopted by the ICAO Assembly in 2022.
CAAF/3 clearly illustrated that decarbonizing aviation requires the unreserved and concerted efforts of the entire supply chain and governments. Therefore, This framework has been a signal to public and private investors and fuel producers of the opportunities to fully support and unlock the potential of the aviation sector's energy transition.
The unreserved and united efforts of the entire supply chain and governments are therefore expected, by adopting the necessary support policies for the decarbonization of aviation, as agreed at CAAF/3.
Translation: Mireille GALABE
