ECAC webinar: Government Policy Toolkit to Accelerate Uptake of Electric and Hydrogen Aircraft
Videoconference, 6 February 2024 — Since 2014, ECAC has fostered a Cooperation Arrangement with Indonesia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation, a collaboration further strengthened in 2021 with the launch of the ECAC capacity-building programme for environment.
As part of this cooperative framework, a webinar was recently organised with the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Aviation Environmental Federation (AEF) for the benefit of DGCA Indonesia. This event aimed to explore policy measures conducive to accelerating the uptake of electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft as part of the process towards achieving ICAO’s 2050 net-zero emissions goal for international aviation.
Alejandro de Quero Cordero, Sustainability Lead for Aerospace and Drones at the World Economic Forum, and Tim Johnson, Director of the Aviation Environment Federation, presented the Policy Toolkit to Accelerate Electric and Hydrogen Aircraft. This toolkit, a collaborative effort by WEF and AEF, developed in conjunction with other industry stakeholders as part of WEF’s Target True Zero initiative, was designed to support governments in formulating their electric and hydrogen aircraft strategies thereby contributing to the ICAO net-zero objective.
A key takeaway from the discussion emphasised the need to promote sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) as a short-term policy priority. However, it also underlined that concerted efforts to raise awareness among stakeholders and implement policy actions are equally essential in the short term to facilitate the future development of electric and hydrogen aircraft, which will play a pivotal role in aviation’s sustainable evolution. This is particularly relevant for regions like the Indonesian archipelago, where short-haul flights ensure social connectivity.
The webinar attracted over 40 participants and led to an engaging dialogue session.