Boston (5 October 2021) – The International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations (ICCAIA) is proud to be a signatory to the aviation industry’s commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The commitment is supported by the aerospace manufacturers, airlines, airports, and air traffic management around the world through the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) consortium.

The commitment states that: Global civil aviation operations will achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, supported by accelerated efficiency measures, energy transition, and innovation across the aviation sector and in partnership with governments around the world.

“To achieve this important and challenging goal, all stakeholders within the aviation industry must collaborate internally and with governments around the world, and with the energy sector,” said ICCAIA Chairman Jan Pie “Joint cooperative action is paramount to getting to net zero carbon emissions,” he continued.

Waypoint 2050 outlines several key elements to achieve the decarbonisation of air transport, including:

1. Increasing use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and a transition away from fossil fuels by mid-century as part of a wider aviation energy shift including low-carbon electricity and green hydrogen.
2. Research, development and deployment of evolutionary and revolutionary airframe and propulsion systems, including the introduction of electric and / or hydrogen powered aircraft.
3. Continued improvements in efficiency of operations and infrastructure across the system, including at airports and air navigation service providers.
4. Investment in high-quality carbon offsets in the near-term and carbon removals opportunities to address residual CO2 emissions in the long-term. In this regard, the industry reaffirms its [full] support for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) as an effective transitional measure to stabilise net emissions from international aviation.

“Across our industries, we are already undertaking a vast range of activities to reduce aviation CO2 emissions. Our unwavering commitment to respond to the challenge of climate change has not abated despite the crisis we have faced.”

ICCAIA represents the aerospace manufacturing and support industries from the United States, Europe, Canada, Russia, Brazil, Japan, Singapore, and Mexico. ICCAIA members are at the forefront of sustainable technology developments in the areas of SAF use and electric, hybrid, and hydrogen propulsion. These revolutionary technologies will be key in delivering on the commitment made by ATAG to net-zero emissions by 2050.