COP28 event highlights the energy transition for aviation

A Global Sustainable Aviation Forum was held to underscore the need for cooperative approaches to decarbonising air transport.

Experts and leaders from across the aviation sector provided an overview of the requirements for the energy transition in aviation. 

Executive Director of the cross-industry Air Transport Action Group, Haldane Dodd said: “COP28 is where the world comes together to find a way to meet the Paris Agreement goals. Aviation is committed to playing its part in that system-wide decarbonisation. Air transport is always referred to as a ‘hard-to-abate’ sector due to the fact that we don’t have off-the-shelf solutions for decarbonisation. Whilst meeting aviation’s net-zero carbon by 2050 goal is a significant challenge, our sector has a history of collaborating to overcome difficulties and our energy transition is no different. We have a plan in place and are working to execute that strategy in a number of different ways.

“When we bring together airlines, airports, air traffic management and the civil aerospace sector at an event like the Global Sustainable Aviation Forum at COP28, you realise the sheer scale of the efforts underway on technology, operational improvements and the shift to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). We have brought governments on board through the UN specialised agency, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), where they not only adopted a net-zero goal for 2050, but also last week a pathway towards the eventual replacement of fossil fuel use for aviation, starting in 2030 with a 5% emissions reduction goal.” 

The Global Sustainable Aviation Forum at COP28 brought together experts from all parts of the aviation value chain, governments, UN organisations, finance, energy, civil society and labour unions to discuss the energy transition and decarbonisation of aviation. A strong focus on SAF deployment was complemented by discussions on operational improvements, the use of hydrogen, airport carbon management, just transition, non-CO2 effects, policy and financing.

Dodd said: “COP28 is the perfect opportunity for aviation to emphasise to governments the need for supportive policy measures to help spur investment in SAF. The traditional energy sector and finance community are also a core part of this transition. One of the key debates in the wider COP28 negotiations right now is the question of ‘phasing out’ fossil fuels. The aviation industry voice is clear: we must phase out our fossil fuel use by 2050. It’s a massive challenge for all sectors of the economy and especially for aviation. But it is one we are committed to make happen so we can connect the world carbon free in the decades to come.”