Ministers and officials involved in high-level environmental discussions organized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) debated the feasibility of reaching the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The officials urged countries to cooperate through the UN agency and ultimately decided to support the emissions reduction goal. This long-term aspirational goal (LTAG) aligns with the Paris Agreement’s temperature target and will help achieve sustainable aviation.
The ICAO meeting, hosted at the ICAO headquarters in Montreal on Jul. 19–22, centered around the feasibility of an LTAG for international aviation CO2 emissions reductions and involved ministers and other high-level officials representing 119 countries. Over 700 participants from various states and international organizations directly involved in the aviation and environment sectors also participated in the hybrid meeting. The four-day meeting considered input from all contributing parties and covered a wide variety of scenarios and options for in-sector CO2 emissions reductions based on the latest technological innovations, new types of aircraft and operations, and increased global production capability for sustainable aviation fuel.
The decision to support the goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 confirms ICAO’s commitment to contribute to the fight against climate change by reducing the aviation industry’s CO2 emissions. This decision will next be considered by the ICAO Council in August, and then by all 193 contracting states to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation at the upcoming 41st session of the ICAO Assembly in September.