The ICAO Finvest Hub, created by ICAO, will serve as a platform to connect aviation decarbonization projects with potential investors.
Launched amid ICAO’s Aviation Climate Week in Montréal (2–4 June 2025), the Finvest Hub marks a new phase in aviation decarbonization—connecting sustainability projects with investors to turn commitments into capital and implementation
ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar described it simply yet pointedly:“The Finvest Hub is one of ICAO’s important responses to this challenge. It is how we move from planning to implementation, from commitments to capital, from vision to velocity.”
How it Works: Structure & Mechanism
Project Intake & Assessment
States, SAF/LCAF developers, or clean-energy companies can submit proposals, particularly those from ACT‑SAF feasibility studies, through a standardized process. Submissions are evaluated for technical soundness, environmental integrity, and financial viability
Matchmaking Platform
Using ICAO’s database and partner networks, the Hub matches vetted projects with potential financiers—development banks, governments, impact investors, private equity, philanthropic groups—to align projects with funding opportunities
Capacity & Technical Support
Beyond capital matchmaking, the Hub offers capacity-building, business-case consultancy, and support on legal/regulatory frameworks—especially crucial for developing States with limited project development experience .
Partnership Integration
Technically hosted alongside IRENA’s Energy Transition Accelerator Financing (ETAF) platform and supported by ICAO’s ACT‑SAF program, the Hub is a culmination of multiple ICAO initiatives, delivering holistic support—from feasibility to funding
ICAO Finvest Hub -Why It Matters: The SAF Funding Gap
According to the 2025 ICAO Environmental Report, meeting the LTAG goals will require roughly US $3.2 trillion in clean-fuel–related investments by 2050.
SAF Supply So Far:
- 2022: ~0.25 Mt/year
- 2023: ~0.5 Mt (doubling prior year)
- 2024: ~1 Mt (doubling again)
Even with strong growth, these figures remain a drop compared to the ~380–490 Mt of SAF needed annually by 2050
To close this gap requires robust investment. Yet higher costs, nascent supply chains, and financing roadblocks persist, especially in low‑income regions .
ICAO Finvest Hub-Who’s Involved: Key Partnerships
- ICAO–IRENA (Oct 2024): A formal cooperation links ICAO’s Finvest Hub with IRENA’s ETAF platform to leverage expertise, risk mitigation, and investor networks
- Industry & MDB Support: Airbus, Boeing, GenZero, the International Power‑to‑X Hub, and several multilateral development banks (e.g. World Bank, EIB, IDB) officially backed the launch and attended working meetings
- Regional Actors: PtX Hub’s regional teams in Brazil, Morocco, South Africa, etc., will identify bankable SAF/eSAF candidates and help prep them for investment design
ICAO Finvest Hub- Early Results & Pilot Initiatives
- Abu Dhabi (12 Feb 2025): Launch of the platform and Letter of Intent signing at the Global Implementation Support Symposium (GISS)
- As of June 2025, a Finvest Hub web portal is being readied for deployment at the upcoming ICAO Assembly (23 Sept–3 Oct)—tech infrastructure to host submission/assessment, investor dashboards, and reporting functions
- Pilot Projects: Regional hubs, exemplified by PtX Hub’s Africa initiative, are already identifying 10–15 early-stage SAF/LCAF proposals across emerging markets
Strategic Goals & KPIs
Through March–June 2025, ICAO has targeted:
- Launching the platform’s MVP by Assembly 2025.
- Engaging ≥ 10 MDBs and 50 private investors.
- Receiving ≥ 20 qualified proposals from States and developers.
- Facilitating project development pipelines in ≥ 5 developing countries.
By the end of the year, ICAO expects to announce initial funding agreements tied to pipeline projects.
Long-Term Vision & Challenges
- Scalability: Transitioning from pilot deals to large-scale SAF plants requires downstream financing (~US $100 million–$1 billion per facility), meaning sustained investor engagement .
- De-Risking: New SAF business models still carry off-take uncertainty and feedstock risks. Mechanisms such as guarantees, blended finance, and anchor offtake agreements remain important .
- Policy Alignment: National SAF mandates, tax incentives, aviation carbon pricing, and CORSIA coordination will directly impact investor confidence.
- Data & Transparency: To attract capital, robust ESG metrics, lifecycle analyses, and regular hub reporting are essential.
What’s Next & Outlook
| Timeframe | Expected Developments |
|---|---|
| By Sep–Oct 2025 | Full platform launch at ICAO Assembly; early investor-project matches highlighted. |
| Q4 2025–Q1 2026 | Live investment agreements; blended-finance structures narrowly piloted. |
| 2026–2028 | Scaling across regions; expanded to LCAF, eSAF, hydrogen-based fuels. |
| By 2030 | Safeguarding US $10–20 billion in committed financing for aviation clean-energy. |
In Summary
The ICAO Finvest Hub is a concrete step from ambition to action—a matchmaking engine between aviation’s sustainability vision and the funds needed to realize it. Designed to:
- Bridge the US $3.2 trillion funding gap;
- Enable developing States to lead SAF projects;
- Align public & private capital with aviation decarbonization;
- Scale from local pilots to global investment frameworks.
Its success will depend on delivering early wins by 2026—attracting marquee financiers and showing investor confidence in clean-fuel pipelines. As the platform ramps up, the ICAO Assembly in September 2025 will be a key milestone to showcase partnerships, pilot projects, and success roadmaps.
Source: ICAO
