The recommendations from the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) 13th Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) meeting, held at ICAO Headquarters from February 17 to 28, indicate significant progress towards sustainable aviation.
The committee put forward 31 recommendations, creating a methodology to monitor and report CO₂ emissions reductions in line with ICAO's long-term global aspirational goal. They proposed stricter standards for aircraft noise and CO₂ emissions and made headway on addressing non-CO₂ emissions, climate adaptation, airports, operations, fuels, and CORSIA. These developments collectively establish the technical groundwork necessary to turn the sector's environmental commitments into tangible actions.
The Committee's establishment of the inaugural global system to monitor progress toward the Long Term Global Aspirational Goal (LTAG) of achieving net zero carbon emissions represented a significant milestone. Through the development of a comprehensive monitoring and reporting methodology, this new framework offers a standardized global method for assessing aviation's decarbonization progress, facilitating transparent and informed decision-making throughout the industry.
"This monitoring framework transforms our net-zero commitment from aspiration to actionable reality," said ICAO Council President Salvatore Sciacchitano. "We now have the tools to measure progress and adjust our course as needed."
The Committee's efforts on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) are going to speed up the approval of new eco-friendly fuel options. This is super important for hitting the goal of cutting CO₂ emissions by 5% with cleaner energy by 2030, a target set at the Third Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3) in 2023.
For the first time, more rigorous noise and CO₂ standards have been introduced simultaneously for aviation. The goal is to influence the next wave of aircraft designs by encouraging manufacturers to develop solutions that tackle these closely connected environmental challenges.
The results of CAEP/13 will be reviewed by the ICAO Council and will guide important global policy decisions at the 42nd Session of the ICAO Assembly in October 2025, reinforcing the groundwork for aviation's sustainable transformation for the future.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a specialized agency of the United Nations, spearheads the global harmonization of technical standards and strategies, promoting the safe, secure, and sustainable growth of aviation sectors and air services across its 193 member states. This year marks the 80th anniversary of ICAO's founding under the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation.
According to the CAEP recommendations, the ICAO CO₂ emissions standard would become 10% stricter and would apply to new aircraft-type designs starting in 2031. Additionally, a stricter standard would be enforced for new deliveries of existing in-production aircraft types from 2035. The enhanced noise Standard would be applicable to new aircraft-type designs beginning in 2029. A new noise certification Standard for supersonic aircraft was also suggested, which would take effect in 2029.
The CAEP also achieved significant progress on various other environmental protection issues. Updated global environmental trends concerning aircraft noise, greenhouse gases, and local air quality emissions were presented to guide environment-related discussions at the forthcoming ICAO Assembly. Additionally, CAEP provided information on the latest scientific advancements regarding aviation's non-CO₂ impacts.
The CAEP also provided a revised Climate Adaptation Synthesis Report, a report on noise monitoring systems, a new Eco-Airport Toolkit publication focused on Cleaner Energy at Airports, operational guidance materials, and strategies for community engagement. Lastly, the Committee sanctioned a review of possible operational opportunities to decrease non-CO₂ emissions.
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