20 November 2009: The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has announced the establishment of an online tool, the “Global Framework on Aviation and Alternative Fuels” (GRAAF), which will be used to communicate best practices, future ICAO member State activities, and other information regarding the development and implementation of alternative fuels for aviation worldwide.
The GRAAF was agreed upon at an ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels, which took place from 16-18 November 2009, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Conference participants adopted a declaration and recommendations that, along with the GRAAF, will be forwarded to the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP-15) to the UNFCCC in December in Copenhagen, Denmark. Participants welcomed short and medium term use of drop-in alternatives, such as biofuel-based aviation fuels, and recommended a meeting of international stakeholders to discuss financing and infrastructure surrounding alternative aviation fuels. [ICAO Press Release][Conference Papers, Statements and Presentations]