COP 31: ICAO champions global approach to aviation emissions

COP 31: ICAO champions global approach to aviation emissions 

Climate challenges require strengthened collaboration to accelerate sustainable aviation efforts

The acceleration of efforts to reduce carbon emissions from civil aviation will be the focus of ICAO’s engagement with diplomats and delegates at COP 31 (the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)), in Antalya, Türkiye. 

Emissions from international civil aviation are addressed through ICAO, while domestic flight operations are covered by the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement.

ICAO’s strategic plan for 2050 envisions air transport for all with zero fatalities and net zero carbon emissions. The path to 2050 will be a focus of ICAO’s advocacy at COP 31, with measurable progress already being achieved through the deployment of cleaner aviation energies, technological innovation, operational improvements, and the sector’s only global market-based measure – the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) for carbon neutral growth.

These ICAO initiatives received unanimous endorsement by the ICAO Assembly in October 2025 and will be emphasized through ICAO’s engagement at COP31, which opens on 9 November.  

A busy agenda
ICAO will host its own side event to focus on “Accelerating Sustainable Aviation Through UN System Synergies.” Discussions will highlight CORSIA’s expanding reach and growing strength, with routes connecting 134 ICAO Member States subject to offsetting requirements as of next year.  ICAO is ensuring all Member States are fully supported through its Assistance, Capacity-building and Training on CORSIA programme.

ICAO will also highlight achievements and challenges in energy and finance. Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), which are produced from renewable or waste sources, are seeing increasing uptake. In 2025, certified supplies of these fuels more than doubled compared to the previous year, resulting in an estimated reduction of 1.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

ICAO’s Assistance, Capacity-building, and Training for SAF programme helps Member States develop the necessary regulatory and financial structures, while the organization’s Finvest Hub offers a growing list of potential funding opportunities and expanding partner networks.

ICAO will feature its State Action Plan initiative, which prompts its Member States to outline goals and strategies for emission reduction, facilitate capacity-building as well as progress tracking. This initiative has attracted participation from 155 countries, representing more than 99 percent of global air traffic.

Circular economy approaches in aviation will be the focus of a second ICAO side event later in the week.

Transparency is essential
ICAO will communicate all of these achievements to the UNFCCC Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice, showcasing the effectiveness and credibility of ICAO’s work toward its Long-Term Global Aspirational Goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. These efforts demonstrate aviation’s successful international governance for climate action and offer an example for other sectors to emulate.

Talks at COP 31 will conclude on 20 November 2026.

4 November 2026