When the 41st ICAO Assembly adopted a long-term global aspirational goal (LTAG) for international aviation of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 it was in support of the UNFCCC Paris Agreement’s temperature goal. The historic agreement reinforced the leadership of ICAO on issues relating to international aviation and climate change.
The LTAG does not attribute specific obligations or commitments in the form of emissions reduction goals to individual States. Instead, it recognizes that each State’s special circumstances and respective capabilities (e.g., the level of development, maturity of aviation markets, sustainable growth of its international aviation, just transition, and national priorities of air transport development) will inform the ability of each State to contribute to the LTAG within their own national timeframes. Each State helps contribute to achieving the goal in a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable manner and in accordance with their national circumstances.
Taking a crucial step towards achieving the aviation sector’s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, ICAO signed a landmark agreement with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to boost financing opportunities for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and other cleaner aviation energy projects.
The Memorandum of Cooperation signed by ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar and IRENA Director General Francesco La Camera at the G20 Energy Ministerial meeting in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, will allow the exploration of pathways to operationalize the ICAO Finvest Hub by facilitating the identification of financial resources for scaling up SAF, Lower Carbon Aviation Fuels (LCAF), and other cleaner energy solutions.
“The aviation clean energy transition is fundamental to achieving our net-zero Long-Term Global Aspirational Goal (LTAG), as it has the potential to contribute to the majority of required emissions reductions. This new cooperation with IRENA is an opportunity to accelerate the energy transition of the aviation sector worldwide,” said ICAO Secretary General Salazar. “ICAO is fully committed to supporting the four building blocks needed to achieve this goal – policy and planning, regulatory frameworks, implementation support, and financing.”
Our Secretary General emphasized ICAO’s commitment to making aviation clean energy affordable, attractive, and accessible globally: “This relationship with IRENA enhances our capacity to drive investment and support project implementation, bringing us closer to our environmental goals. At the same time, we continue to work on advancing all aspects of the net zero framework.”
The IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera added: “We are delighted to partner with ICAO to mobilize investment in renewable energy and decarbonization projects in the aviation industry. Through the IRENA Energy Transition Accelerator Financing (ETAF) Platform, we find climate finance solution dedicated to advancing the global energy transition by facilitating investment. The global energy transition needs all hands on deck and this cooperation is a clear expression of it.”
ICAO will continue its advocacy and outreach efforts, organizing dialogues with States and stakeholders to address financing needs, support project implementation, and identify opportunities to increase access to public and private capital for aviation decarbonization projects.