The recent G20 Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting held in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, from 1 to 4 October 2024, gave significant recognition to ICAO for its efforts to decarbonize the aviation sector. ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar actively participated in the event, emphasizing the critical role of aviation’s clean energy transition in the global energy landscape and advocating for ICAO’s ongoing initiatives to the G20 Energy Ministers.

At the Roundtable on “Unlocking Future Fuels” on 3 October, Mr. Salazar emphasized the importance of sustainable aviation fuels and clean energies in achieving ICAO’s Long-Term Global Aspirational Goal (LTAG) of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

“We are already witnessing significant progress across the fuel industry value chain, and this is just the beginning,” stated the ICAO Secretary General. He highlighted that 125 airports are now distributing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) globally, with more than 330 facilities producing it. SAF is currently approved for up to 50% blending with conventional jet fuel, with aims for 100% SAF commercial operations in the near future.

The Secretary General shared key statistics on Sustainable Aviation Fuel:

• Over 40 national/regional policies on SAF have been adopted or are under development

• More than 50 billion liters of SAF are covered by offtake agreements

• Over 40 SAF feedstocks are now recognized under CORSIA (ICAO’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation)

ICAO Global Framework for Sustainable Aviation

Mr. Salazar also participated in the G20 Special Session on “Sustainable Fuels, Chemicals and Materials” on 4 October, where he emphasized the importance of the ICAO Global Framework for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), Lower Carbon Aviation Fuels (LCAF), and other Aviation Cleaner Energies. This framework, adopted at the Third ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels in Dubai last November, aims to facilitate the global scale-up in the development, production, and deployment of aviation cleaner energies.

“Through this Framework, ICAO and its Member States will strive to reduce international aviation CO₂ emissions by 5 percent by 2030, through the use of aviation cleaner energies,” Mr. Salazar stated.

The Secretary General also highlighted ICAO’s ongoing efforts to support States and stakeholders in scaling up and the financing of sustainable fuels. He discussed the ICAO Assistance, Capacity-building and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (ACT-SAF) programme, which provides tailored support to over 180 States and Organizations in various stages of SAF development and deployment.

Next steps

Mr. Salazar presented the ICAO Finvest Hub in Brazil. This new initiative will facilitate access to public and private financing for aviation decarbonization projects. 

The Finvest initiative took a significant step forward during the G20 meeting with the signing of a supporting Memorandum of Cooperation between ICAO and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

ICAO’s activities and achievements during the G20 Energy Ministerial Meeting have significantly amplified the global momentum towards the organization’s decarbonization goals, catalyzing international collaboration and paving the way for more rapid implementation of sustainable aviation initiatives worldwide.