ICAO Meeting Showcases Decarbonization Progress

ICAO building with innovation sign
Credit: Mark Nensel/Aviation Week

Aviation personnel from around the world have been updated on the development, financing, and deployment of cleaner energy at a meeting at ICAO’s Montreal headquarters.

The 2023 Stocktaking on Aviation in-Sector CO2 Emissions Reductions and Pre-CAAF/3 Policy and Finance Consultation event tracked progress toward the achievement of aviation’s planned goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. It also set the stage for nations’ policy recommendations at the Third ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3), scheduled to take place in Dubai in November.

ICAO’s Stocktaking events bring novel developments and innovations in the move toward aviation decarbonization to a global audience. 

More than 1,000 participants registered for the three-day event, where panelists from government, aviation and energy stakeholders, research institutions, and startups shared their visions and roadmaps for decarbonizing aviation. 

These included novel aircraft technologies, operational improvements in the air and on the ground, and opportunities to expand the production and use of sustainable aviation fuels, lower carbon aviation fuels and other cleaner energies for aviation. 

“I am heartened by the many partnerships and collaboration initiatives, many involving ICAO, aimed at enabling key innovative solutions for a more climate-resilient and sustainable development of international aviation,” ICAO Secretary-General Juan Carlos Salazar said as the meeting ended July 17. 

Experts at the meeting also stressed the need “for further consultations amongst states and stakeholders to define a clear ICAO global framework at the CAAF/3.”

A special focus was given in Montreal to financing, including the importance of blended finance and the role of public and private institutions. Financial institutions presented their views, needs, and challenges to support green funding for cleaner energy aviation projects. 

ICAO also released the latest addition to its Carbon Emissions Calculator (ICEC) which computes the amount of CO2 emissions from a given flight. It now includes an air-freighter calculator that allows the estimation of carbon emissions on the basis of the weight, departure, and arrival airports of the package shipped.

Alan Dron

Based in London, Alan is Europe & Middle East correspondent at Air Transport World.