Though this is the second year since the UN began recognizing the International Day of Clean Energy, ICAO remains committed to advancing clean energy in international aviation every day of the year. This international day calls for global awareness and action toward a just and inclusive transition to clean energy, that benefits both people and the planet. At ICAO we see this important day as an opportunity to reflect on and share our ongoing progress and efforts to support a cleaner, more sustainable future for aviation.
Under ICAO’s leadership, the international aviation sector has committed to addressing its impact on the global climate, and is now fully committed to implementing its clean energy transition.
During the 2022 ICAO General Assembly, Member States agreed on a collective global Long-term Aspirational Goal (LTAG) for international aviation of Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050, in support of the Paris Agreement’s temperature goal. This LTAG decision was supported by the LTAG report, comprehensive technical analysis that indicated fuels and clean energies will be the primary contributors to reducing aviation CO₂ emissions by 2050.
A major milestone in aviation’s clean energy transition was reached last year in Dubai, UAE, during the Third ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3). ICAO Member States adopted the ICAO Global Framework for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), Lower Carbon Aviation Fuels (LCAF) and other Aviation Cleaner Energies to facilitate the global scale up in the development, production and deployment of aviation cleaner energies in all regions, while emphasizing the imperative that No Country is Left Behind.
This framework set an ambitious target: reducing international aviation CO2 emissions by 5 percent by 2030, through the use of cleaner aviation energies.
The Global Framework provides essential guidance on transitioning to cleaner energy in aviation. It offers clarity, consistency, and predictability to governments, investors, industry, and fuel producers. Specifically, it addresses policies, regulations, implementation strategies, and investment requirements needed to support and unlock the full potential of the aviation sector’s energy transition globally.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel, or SAF, has indeed become a reality and is a key driver in reducing aviation’s carbon footprint. Not only is it compatible with existing aircraft and showing great promise, but we have seen successful trials. In addition, there has been strong support from both government and industry, with clear environmental benefits, given that its effectiveness stems from renewable resources. These include waste oils, agricultural residues, and various biomass sources. The added value of these feedstocks lies in their circularity: they absorb CO2 during growth, which partially offsets the CO2 emitted from fuel combustion. This cycle contributes to the overall reduction in net emissions.
Since the adoption of the ICAO Global Framework, we have been witnessing significant progress across the fuel industry value chain, and we are confident that this is just the beginning. SAF development and deployment offer a trifecta of benefits:
- It significantly reduces life-cycle CO2 emissions compared to conventional jet fuel;
- It enhances energy security by diversifying fuel sources; and
- It stimulates economic growth through new industries and job creation.
These benefits will accelerate our global progress towards sustainable aviation. We are currently tracking and monitoring this exponential growth in SAF development and deployment in all regions with our ICAO Cleaner Energy Tracker Tools.
Currently, more than 140 airports globally now distribute SAF, with more than 360 facilities engaged in production. On the policy front, more than 45 national and regional SAF policies have been adopted or are under development, and SAF is currently approved for up to 50% blending with conventional jet fuel. These developments demonstrate SAF’s viability and reflect the effectiveness of the collective efforts of governments, industry, and other stakeholders. 100% SAF commercial operations are expected in the coming years.
ICAO’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) also provides the important basis to facilitate the development and deployment of SAF and aviation cleaner energies, through the globally-harmonized frameworks for the assessment of life-cycle emissions values and the sustainability certification of such fuels. In addition, we now recognize more than 45 SAF feedstocks under CORSIA.
The cleaner energy transition for aviation is unfolding now. Though our path forward is clear, we are not done yet. Achieving the clean energy transition for aviation will require unprecedented efforts and collaboration towards capacity-building support and access to financing for the production and use of sustainable fuels.
In 2024, we worked to implement the ICAO Global Framework, in accordance with the roadmap of actions as approved by the ICAO Council. We continue to make further progress in supporting States, including through the ICAO Assistance, Capacity-building and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (ACT-SAF) programme, that now involves more than 215 States and Organizations.
The ACT-SAF programme provides essential support to States such as the exchange of best practices, training, policy development, and feasibility studies. More than 20 SAF feasibility studies will be launched in the coming years, aiming to foster the public and private actors of the SAF value-chain in each beneficiary State, laying the ground for investments and the emergence of concrete new SAF production projects.
The ACT-SAF programme also includes a set of training sessions, the ACT-SAF Series, where ICAO and ACT-SAF supporting partners deliver presentations on various SAF-related topics, such as the fuel sustainability, certification, production technology, policies, logistics, market, and feasibility assessment. The ACT-SAF Series material is available on ICAO TV, YouTube, and the ACT-SAF website.
ICAO is also working on the establishment and the operationalization of the ICAO Finvest Hub, a financial platform to facilitate enhanced access to public and private investment, as well as funding from financial institutions, for projects contributing to the decarbonization of international aviation.
January 26th is the founding date of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), making it an opportune moment to highlight the significant agreement ICAO and IRENA signed in October 2024. This agreement, formalized during the G20 Energy Ministerial meeting in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, establishes a cooperative framework to facilitate the mobilization of financial resources for aviation cleaner energy projects. It also serves as a key step toward operationalizing the ICAO Finvest Hub.
In addition to IRENA, ICAO also continues to engage with other UN bodies and international organizations involved in clean energy, such as the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the International Energy Agency (IEA), Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) the World Bank (WB) and others, to explore opportunities to facilitate and prioritize financing to aviation decarbonization.
ICAO advocated for aviation’s clean energy transition at the UNFCCC COP29 conference in Baku, Azerbaijan in November 2024, to inform States and stakeholders from both inside and outside the aviation sector on the recent progress in the implementation of the ICAO Global Framework. In this article, we shared a comprehensive overview of ICAO’s clean energy activities and events showcased during COP29.
The clean energy transition is not merely a possibility—it is a necessity. With ICAO at the forefront, the aviation industry has a unique opportunity to shape a future where clean energy powers the skies, enabling travel that is not only more sustainable and accessible but also environmentally responsible for generations to come.
The journey to Aviation Net-Zero 2050 is vital for our industry and our planet. With continued collaboration and innovation, we are confident that we can achieve aviation’s clean energy transition, and lead the sector’s journey toward Net-Zero 2050.
To celebrate the International Day of Clean Energy, we invite you to watch ICAO’s video below on Aviation Clean Energy Transition:
The post Celebrating the International Day of Clean Energy and the progress we have made appeared first on Uniting Aviation.
