Aviation's green transition is industry's "greatest opportunity", ICAO Secretary General tells airline leaders

The path to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 presents the aviation industry with its greatest opportunity for innovation and growth, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar told global airline leaders at the IATA World Sustainability Symposium recently held in Miami.

Mr. Salazar called for unprecedented collaboration to accelerate the sector's green transition.

"By successfully navigating this transition, we can strengthen aviation's position as a driver of sustainable development worldwide, connecting people and markets while respecting environmental boundaries," he said.

The Secretary General’s keynote outlined ICAO's new long-term Strategic Plan 2026-2050, which includes the ambitious goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 for international civil aviation operations. This plan builds on the Long-term Global Aspirational Goal (LTAG) agreed upon by ICAO Member States in 2022 and the Global Framework on Sustainable Aviation Fuels established at the 3rd ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3) in 2023.

A key focus of the address was the need for increased scaling up in the production and use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF). ICAO's Assistance, Capacity-building and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (ACT-SAF) programme was highlighted as a crucial initiative in this area. The Secretary General also introduced the ICAO Finvest Hub, a new platform aimed at linking clean energy project proposals with financing opportunities.

The importance of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) was reaffirmed, with a call for continued industry support for its implementation. Mr. Salazar also touched upon ICAO's recent symposium on non-CO2 aviation emissions, inviting industry expertise to contribute to this emerging area of study.

In his concluding remarks, the Secretary General emphasized the need for united advocacy efforts to showcase aviation's progress in reducing its environmental footprint and its role in driving economic development. He called on all stakeholders to work together in telling aviation's "great story" to the world and accelerating towards the shared goal of eliminating air transport emissions.

The IATA World Sustainability Symposium brought together leaders from across the global aviation industry to discuss and strategize on key sustainability challenges and opportunities facing the sector.