BAKU / CANADA – The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) successfully rallied international support for aviation’s decarbonization efforts at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29), with the ICAO council president Salvatore Sciacchitano leading crucial discussions on the sector’s clean energy transition.
On the opening day, ICAO hosted a strategic briefing session at the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Pavilion, showcasing recent achievements in international aviation and climate change while highlighting contributions to UN SDGs, particularly SDG 13 on climate action. The session culminated in the Azerbaijan State Civil Aviation Agency, of the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport, joining over 200 partners in the ICAO Assistance, Capacity-building and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (ACT-SAF) programme.
“While international aviation continues to play a pivotal role in global connectivity and economic growth, ICAO and its 193 Member States are committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, in support of the Paris Agreement’s temperature goal,” said president Sciacchitano. “Achieving the clean energy transition for aviation will require unprecedented efforts and collaboration towards capacity-building support and access to financing for the production and use of sustainable fuels.”
President Sciacchitano addressed the high-level roundtable on energy: Advancing Climate Mitigation Action during the COP29 World Leaders Climate Action Summit on 12 November, presenting aviation’s progress in clean energy transition under ICAO’s leadership.
Meanwhile, the ICAO council president’s diplomatic engagement included a significant bilateral meeting with H.E. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, president of Kazakhstan, addressing critical challenges facing global aviation in the context of climate change. Further high-level discussions were held with IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez, IRENA director-general Francesco La Camera, UNFCCC deputy executive secretary Noura Hamladji, and representatives from the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
These strategic meetings advanced several crucial initiatives. Key outcomes included common approaches to addressing emissions from international transport sectors, and progress under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. This progress will facilitate access to eligible carbon credits under the ICAO Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). Discussions also focused on further operationalization of the ICAO Finvest Hub to facilitate investment in aviation clean energy projects.
During the discussions, ICAO emphasized Member States’ concerns regarding a possible aviation taxation approach. These concerns centered on both the sector’s need for substantial financial resources for climate action and the potential adverse impacts on developing countries’ air connectivity.
The organization continued its COP29 engagement through 22 November, with scheduled programming for Energy Day (15 November) and Transport Day (20 November) led by Jane Hupe, ICAO Secretary General’s envoy to the UNFCCC COP.
