An article by Urs Ziegler, Head of Environmental Affairs, Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA)
The 41st Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization, held in 2022, was a landmark event for the aviation sector, particularly in terms of environmental sustainability. It marked a critical turning point in ICAO’s ongoing efforts to address the environmental impact of aviation and to align the sector with global climate objectives. With climate change posing an urgent threat to the planet, ICAO’s commitment to reducing aviation’s carbon footprint has never been more crucial…
The commitment
One of the most significant outcomes of the 41st ICAO Assembly was the formal adoption of the goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions from international aviation by 2050. The adoption of this long-term aspirational goal (LTAG) clearly demonstrates the 193 ICAO Member States’ recognition of their shared responsibility to take action and progress climate change mitigation together with the aviation industry. The LTAG aligns with broader global climate commitments, including the Paris Agreement, which seeks to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and ideally to 1.5°C.
This ambitious goal reflects an understanding that aviation, while essential to global connectivity and many of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, must increase its efforts in combating climate change. Based on a comprehensive report developed by ICAO’s Committee on Aviation Environment Protection (CAEP), the ICAO Assembly emphasised that achieving this goal would require comprehensive action across multiple areas, including innovation and scaled-up production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), the development of cleaner aviation technologies, improvements in operational efficiency, and the implementation of market-based mechanisms such as carbon offsetting.
Although many efforts have been undertaken in recent years to reduce the climate impact of aviation, the adoption of the LTAG represents an important additional step towards a common global goal, jointly undertaken by ICAO Member States and the aviation industry.
Monitoring the LTAG
It is now essential for the aviation sector to demonstrate that it has genuinely embarked on this journey and is meeting its environmental commitments.
Monitoring the LTAG for aviation is therefore a fundamental part of ensuring that the international aviation sector meets its environmental obligations. For this reason, a global monitoring and reporting scheme has been developed and now needs to be put in place to show continuous progress towards the LTAG.
ICAO’s role in monitoring the LTAG will revolve around data collection, reporting and assessment. Member States, in cooperation with ICAO, are responsible for submitting regular emissions data, for example under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) and through their State Action Plans. These reports include details on the carbon output from international aviation, progress on fuel efficiency measures, and the use of sustainable aviation fuels. This data serves as a baseline for measuring progress and helps track emissions reductions against the global target.
Monitoring is not a one-time activity but an ongoing process that involves periodic reviews. ICAO will present the results of the monitoring process to the ICAO Assembly on a triennial basis, providing regular opportunities for Member States to assess whether the sector is on track to meet its long-term climate goals, while adjusting strategies in response to shifting technological and market realities. These reviews also enable ICAO to identify emerging challenges or barriers to progress, whether technological, financial, or regulatory.
To effectively monitor progress toward the LTAG, ICAO has developed a tiered methodology that is both backward- and forward-looking. It includes a range of metrics and performance indicators and draws, whenever possible, on data already collected by ICAO.
The role of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF)
Unlike ground transportation, where electrification is progressing rapidly, aviation presents unique challenges due to the high energy density required for flight. This makes SAF one of the most viable solutions for reducing aviation’s carbon footprint by 2050.
SAFs are produced from renewable and waste-derived feedstocks, such as used cooking oil, municipal solid waste, agricultural residues, and even algae. Other production methods use renewable energy (Power-to-Liquid, or PtL), sunlight (Sun-to-Liquid, or StL) and CO2 captured from ambient air or CO2-intensive industrial processes.
The key advantage of SAFs is their potential to reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% – and in the case of PtL and StL fuels, even higher – compared to conventional fossil jet fuel. This includes emissions from feedstock production, processing, transportation and combustion. Moreover, SAFs are considered “drop-in” fuels, meaning they are chemically similar to fossil-based jet fuel and can be used in existing aircraft and fuelling infrastructure without requiring modifications.
It is now widely recognised that achieving the LTAG will depend on increasingly replacing fossil fuels with SAF. In this context, the third ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3), held in Dubai in December 2023, marked a significant step forward in global efforts to promote SAF. The conference gathered stakeholders from governments, the aviation industry, and environmental organisations to discuss the challenges and opportunities involved in scaling up SAF production and use.
The key outcome of the conference was the adoption of the goal that aviation fuel in 2030 should be 5% less carbon intensive than the fossil fuels that make up nearly all of today’s aviation energy. This target will be achieved through a transition to sustainable aviation fuel and, as an interim measure, the use of lower carbon aviation fuels (LCAF).
The conference recognised the need to accelerate the global adoption of SAF, with a focus on increasing production capacity, improving technology, and enhancing sustainability criteria. It also emphasised the importance of collaboration among governments, industry and research institutions to overcome the technical, regulatory and financial barriers to SAF development. A major emphasis was placed on creating a harmonised regulatory framework for SAFs to ensure consistency across markets and streamline approval processes for new fuel types.
One of the biggest challenges facing SAF adoption is the high cost of production. SAFs can be between two and more than five times more expensive than conventional jet fuel due to feedstock limitations, complex refining processes, and low production volumes.
Another important outcome of CAAF/3 was the call for increased financial investment in SAF infrastructure, including the development of production plants and distribution networks.
To support the ramping up of such investments, ICAO launched the Finvest Hub initiative, designed to play a pivotal role in securing the financial resources needed for the sector to meet its climate goals. Its primary goal is to bridge the funding gap that currently exists for sustainable aviation initiatives. While the aviation sector has made significant progress in technological advancements, there remains a pressing need for investment in areas such as sustainable aviation fuels, carbon capture technologies, and other green aviation infrastructure. These innovations are essential for reducing aviation’s carbon footprint, yet they often face barriers including high initial costs, limited infrastructure, and insufficient investment incentives. The Finvest Hub seeks to overcome these barriers by offering a dedicated platform where investors and project developers can connect and explore funding opportunities.
European perspective
The members of the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) stand firmly behind the LTAG and are committed to contributing as much as possible to achieving this goal. They therefore support and expect the 42nd ICAO Assembly to adopt the LTAG Monitoring and Reporting Methodology, as adopted by the ICAO Council, and call for its swift implementation. Recognising the important role SAF will play in decarbonising the aviation sector, the outcomes of CAAF/3 – namely the global framework to promote SAF production across all regions and the goal of achieving 5% less carbon- intensive fuel by 2030 – should be reflected in the updated climate change resolution.
In addition, the establishment of the ICAO Finvest Hub and the support provided to developing States under ICAO’s ACT-SAF programme are essential to successfully ramping up SAF production and use worldwide, and therefore have the strong support of the European community. Finally, it is also of great importance that market-based measures – particularly CORSIA – are strengthened and continuously improved to complete the basket of measures available to decarbonise the aviation sector.
This article was originally published in the summer 2025 edition of ECAC NEWS #83 .