Dubai - 24 November 2023 – The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) welcomes the global framework for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) agreed at the third International Civil Aviation Organization Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (ICAO CAAF/3) in Dubai. The agreement recognizes the importance of accounting methodologies to the global acceleration of SAF production, including book and claim, which is critical to business aircraft operators’ ability to participate in the emerging SAF marketplace.

Kurt Edwards, Director General of IBAC, said, “The CAAF/3 framework advances a key tool for the global business aviation community to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. IBAC and the business aviation industry will work with ICAO and governments to demonstrate how book and claim, using globally accepted accounting practices, can enable small operators, no matter where they are in the world, to send demand signals for SAF while claiming environmental attributes and ensuring environmental integrity.”

The ICAO CAAF/3 framework includes a global, aspirational vision of striving to reduce CO₂ emissions in international aviation by five percent by 2030 through the production and use of SAF, lower-carbon aviation fuel (LCAF), and other aviation cleaner energies. This milestone is in the context of last year’s historic agreement at the ICAO triennial Assembly on a Long-Term Aspirational Goal (LTAG) of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and encourages accelerated investment in SAF production.

The CAAF/3 framework reiterates that the production and use of SAF worldwide will be critical to achieving the LTAG by 2050 and establishes a foundation of four building blocks to facilitate that acceleration: policy and planning, regulatory framework, implementation support, and financing. The Conference also endorsed the creation of the ICAO Finvest Hub, which will facilitate access to public and private investment opportunities for projects contributing to the decarbonization of international aviation, particularly for developing states.

Director General Kurt Edwards led the CAAF/3 IBAC delegation of seven industry officials from IBAC, the Middle East Business Aviation Association, UAS International Trip Support, 4Air, Bombardier, and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.

Media contact:

Marj Rose, IBAC Communications Consultant, comms@ibac.org

About International Business Aviation Council (IBAC)

IBAC represents the interests of business aviation worldwide. IBAC is a non-profit, international trade association with official observer status at the International Civil Aviation Organization, the UN Specialized Agency for aviation matters, in Montreal, Canada. IBAC promotes and manages the industry-leading standards for best safety practices through its International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO^TM); International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH^TM); Safety Management Tool Kit; SMS eLearning training; and Crew Card. Recently introduced in partnership with CTX, the IBAC Carbon Credit Exchange provides the business aviation community

with a reliable resource for real-time offsetting to reduce its carbon footprint. More details at www.ibac.org