ICAO conference kicks off in Dubai to accelerate aviation’s transition toward cleaner energy sources

Well over a hundred countries and 1,000 delegates are convening in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Nov. 20-24 to firm up their collective commitments to boost global aviation’s transition towards sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), lower-carbon aviation fuels (LCAF), and other cleaner energy sources.

“[The third ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3)] convenes just over a year after states’ landmark decision on the long-term global aspirational goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050,” said Salvatore Sciacchitano, council president of the International Civil Aviation Organization, in his opening remarks to the event. “This agreement through ICAO is a testament to our ever-progressive efforts to bring about coordinated action on cleaner aviation fuels and energy sources, which presently hold the greatest potential for us to take urgent action on aviation decarbonization.”

During 2023, ICAO conducted outreach activities and consultations to collect views among states and stakeholders on their expectations on a global framework that would facilitate the scale up in the development, production and deployment of cleaner aviation energies.

Financial institutions and fuel producers were also consulted on the required actions to boost investments in cleaner aviation fuels.

CAAF/3 will present a unique opportunity to consider a clear and robust global framework to respond to those expectations and build market confidence.

Key elements of this framework include a collective vision for the clean-energy ambition, harmonized regulatory foundation, supporting implementation initiatives, and concrete means to facilitate financing so that “no country is left behind.”

“While cleaner energy in aviation is advancing at an unprecedented pace, and ICAO is closely monitoring progress through its Tracker Tools and the LTAG Stocktaking process, substantial investments and financing in this field is still required,” said Juan Carlos Salazar, secretary general of ICAO. “Countries have been clear that they expect ICAO to take the leadership role in bringing them together to agree on key priorities needed for the transition to cleaner energy to take place, and to provide a platform where they can develop the effective partnerships needed with the air-transport, energy and finance sectors to make sustainable aviation a global reality.”

The five-day conference will continue in Dubai until Nov. 24, and its results will send a strong message to the international community regarding the determination of ICAO and its member states in addressing the impact of aviation on the global climate.

Established in 1944, ICAO is a United Nations agency that helps 193 countries to cooperate together and share their skies to their mutual benefit.