There’s something uniquely powerful about being at a COP. Every year, representatives from more than 190 countries spend two weeks of negotiations and discussions with businesses, NGOs and civil society on how to mitigate global warming. The conversations are complex, sometimes difficult, but always rooted in a belief that collaboration and multilateralism are the essence of taking meaningful action for our climate on a global scale.
That same spirit of collaboration runs deep in aviation. Our industry has always been about connection: More than 4.4 billion people travel by air every year on more than 35 million commercial flights, bringing families together, linking communities, allowing for cultural exchange and bridging the distances between us. As we face the defining challenge of our generation in the air transport sector – reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050 – it is that same spirit that will carry us forward.
The centre of discussion remains the ramp-up of sustainable aviation fuel, where vital support is needed to drive its production to match global demand. But more is at stake: how do we deploy fuel-efficient aircraft faster into the global fleet? How do we modernise our air traffic management systems? How do we accelerate development and scaling of carbon removals?
Reaching net zero requires stronger multi-stakeholder collaboration not only from governments and the civil aviation industry, but the financial investor community and traditional energy companies alike. Here at COP30 in Belém, we want to support this effort, by ensuring a whole range of stakeholders are united behind the joint action needed for aviation’s decarbonisation.
This is why ATAG is co-hosting the Climate High-Level Champions side event at COP30 today. We will be joined by stakeholders from across the aviation ecosystem to highlight solutions and initiatives that we are taking as an industry and beyond, highlighting what cooperation can achieve when ideas and ambition come together.
And that’s the key: shared ambition. No organisation or government can take on the decarbonisation of an entire industry on its own. The path to net zero carbon emissions means a system-wide transformation of air transport. It requires trust between nations and alignment between industries. But most of all, it requires a decades-long commitment to the cause. At ATAG, we’ll keep working with our partners and beyond as we work towards reaching our net zero goal.