The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has signed an agreement with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to boost financing opportunities for sustainable aviation fuels and other cleaner aviation energy projects. The Memorandum of Cooperation was signed at the recent G20 Energy Ministerial meeting in Brazil and will allow the exploration of pathways to operationalise the ICAO Finvest Hub by facilitating the identification of financial resources for scaling up SAF, lower carbon aviation fuels (LCAF) and other cleaner energy solutions. ICAO estimates that around $3.2 trillion in investments will be needed for cleaner aviation fuel production alone if its long-term aspirational goal (LTAG) of net zero emissions from international aviation by 2050 is to be achieved. ICAO is an active participant at the COP29 climate meeting, which starts today in Baku, with the UN agency’s Council President addressing a side event.

While its Assistance, Capacity-building and Training for SAF (ACT-SAF) programme already provides implementation support such as initial feasibility and economic studies, ICAO says it Finvest Hub, launched last year at its CAAF/3 conference in Dubai, is expected to play a crucial role in facilitating the matchmaking between the financing needs of project developers and the financing priorities of States, multilateral development banks and private financers. As well as acting as a platform to connect projects with potential public and private investors, the Finvest Hub aims to facilitate funding from financial institutions, encourage new and additional funding, and support developing countries and States with particular needs.

“The aviation clean energy transition is fundamental to achieving our net-zero long-term aspirational goal, as it has the potential to contribute to the majority of required emissions reductions,” said ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar, commenting on the MoC with IRENA, the lead intergovernmental agency for the global energy transformation to a sustainable energy future. “This new cooperation is an opportunity to accelerate the energy transition of the aviation sector worldwide. ICAO is fully committed to supporting the four building blocks needed to achieve this goal – policy and planning, regulatory frameworks, implementation support and financing.”

Responded Francesco La Camera, IRENA Director-General: “Through the IRENA Energy Transition Accelerator Financing (ETAF) Platform, we find climate finance solutions dedicated to advancing the global energy transition by facilitating investment. The transition needs all hands on deck and this cooperation is a clear expression of it.”

The ETAF platform is backed by the United Arab Emirates and alongside financial support from the OPEC Fund, has mobilised commitments amounting to $1.15 billion.

The ICAO Secretary General also met last month with senior representatives from multilateral development banks and other high-level officials in Washington DC to promote the Finvest Hub. The discussions were held alongside annual meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He and ICAO’s Legal Affairs and External Relations Director, Michael Gill, also held direct meetings with officials from the World Bank, IMF, the European Investment Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and also with industry body Airlines for America.

At a roundtable held during the G20 meeting, Salazar said 330 facilities globally are now producing SAF, with 125 airports distributing it, and more than 50 billion litres of SAF are covered by offtake agreements. He reported over 40 national or regional policies on SAF have been adopted or are under development and over 40 SAF feedstocks are now recognised under ICAO’s CORSIA scheme.

Through the global framework agreed at CAAF/3 (the third ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels) a year ago, ICAO and its member states “will strive to reduce international aviation CO2 emissions by 5% by 2030 through the use of aviation cleaner energies,” said Salazar.

In a keynote at a roundtable held during the Washington DC meetings, Annie Petsonk, Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs at the US Department of Transportation, reaffirmed US support for the CAAF/3 outcomes.

ICAO is participating in a number of aviation-related events at COP29, which starts today (November 11) in Baku, Azerbaijan, and has a dedicated COP29 page on its website. It is hosting a briefing session today in the SDG Pavilion, ‘Implementing a clean energy transition for international aviation in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals’, which will include a keynote address by the ICAO Council President, Salvatore Sciacchitano, a premiere presentation of a video on climate change to mark ICAO’s 80^th anniversary and an ACT-SAF signing with an ICAO member state. It will also include an overview of ICAO progress on international aviation and climate change by Jane Hupe, who heads ICAO’s environmental protection and climate activities, and a State perspective on clean energy and capacity building for international aviation by a representative from the host country’s government.

The UN agency will also take part in a number of events on Energy Day (Friday 15 November) and Transport Day (Wednesday 20 November). Its COP29 page will be updated regularly during the two-week course of the climate meeting.

Photo: ICAO

UPDATE: Recording below of the ICAO briefing session in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals

Christopher Surgenor

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A report by the University of Cambridge’s Aviation Impact Accelerator project sets out four actionable steps that are needed over the next five years to help the global aviation sector achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Despite ambitious pledges from governments and industry, the sector so far “remains dangerously off track” in its efforts, says the report, and insists the four goals must be implemented immediately, otherwise “the opportunity for transformation could be lost”. This would leave the world to face escalating climate impacts from a rapidly growing aviation sector that is projected to at least double its emissions by 2050. The four goals include removing aircraft contrails, implementing a new wave of policies aimed at unlocking efficiency gains, reforming sustainable aviation fuel policies and, finally, launching several moonshot technology demonstration programmes such as on long-haul hydrogen aircraft.

The report, ‘Five years to chart a new future for aviation’, is the work of the Aviation Impact Accelerator, a project led by the University of Cambridge and hosted by the university’s Whittle Laboratory and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL).

While endorsing a net zero vision for the industry, “current efforts fall short in both scope and speed,” it says, arguing that some proposed solutions could potentially exacerbate the crisis, such as a heavy reliance on biomass for jet fuel without managing its environmental impact. “It is also crucial to address aviation’s broader climate impacts, including the formation of persistent contrails. The stakes have never been higher: urgent action is needed to shift the sector onto a sustainable path.”

Commented Professor Rob Miller, Director of the Whittle Laboratory: “Aviation stands at a pivotal moment, much like the automotive industry in the late 2000s. Back then, discussions centred around biofuels as the replacement for petrol and diesel – until Tesla revolutionised the future with electric vehicles. Our five-year plan is designed to accelerate this decision point in aviation, setting it on a path to achieve net zero by 2050.”

The plan involves immediately implementing four sustainable aviation goals that were originated during an inaugural meeting of the Transatlantic Sustainable Aviation Partnership held at MIT in the US in April 2023, with representatives from the UK, US and EU. They were further discussed at a roundtable hosted by the Sustainable Markets Initiative in the presence of King Charles III, and previewed at the opening of COP28.

• Goal 1: Dubbed Operation Blue Skies, it calls on governments and industry to create several ‘Airspace-Scale Living Labs’ to enable a global contrail avoidance system to be deployed by 2030.
• Goal 2: In 2025, leading governments should clearly commit about their intention to drive system-wide efficiency improvements and should work together with industry to develop strategies, so that by 2030, a new wave of policies can be implemented to unlock these systemic efficiency gains.
• Goal 3: In 2025, governments should reform sustainable aviation fuel policy development to adopt a cross-sector approach, enabling rapid scalability within global biomass limitations. By 2030, governments and industry should implement a demonstration and deployment strategy that enables SAF production to move beyond purely biomass-based methods, incorporating more carbon-efficient synthetic production techniques.
• Goal 4: In 2025, launch several high-reward experimental demonstration moonshot programmes to enable the focus on, and scale-up of, the most viable transformative technologies by 2030.

The report says goals 2 and 3 can be achieved with minimal new technology but require “robust and clear” market signals and swift policy action, whereas goals 1 and 4 “demand immediate efforts to push the boundaries of technology, creating new opportunities from 2030”.

Growing awareness and commitment to action are encouraging, believe the authors of the report. “Still, it is essential to match those professed concerns with decisive interventions over the next five years to create a credible path to net zero aviation by 2050,” they add.

The Aviation Impact Accelerator is a global initiative that brings together more than 100 experts from across the aviation industry to accelerate the sector’s transition to net zero emissions. Its goal is to develop interactive tools and models that assist stakeholders – governments, industry and the public – in understanding and exploring pathways to sustainable aviation.

“AIA modelling has drawn on the best available evidence to show that there are major challenges to be navigated if we’re to achieve net zero flying at scale, but that is possible,” said Eliot Whittington, Executive Director at CISL. “With focus and a step change in ambition from governments and business, we can address the hurdles, unlock sustainable flying and in doing so, build new industries and support wider economic change.”

Photo (University of Cambridge): Prof Rob Miller and King Charles III at the Whittle Laboratory facility

Christopher Surgenor

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A European aviation industry coalition has welcomed the inclusion of sustainable aviation fuel as a ‘strategic net zero technology’ under the EU Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), which has received provisional agreement between the European Parliament and Council. The Act is a central part of the EU’s Green Deal Industrial Plan, which aims to follow the example of the United States’ Inflation Reduction Act in stimulating domestic manufacturing capacity in clean energy technologies, with the intention of reaching at least 40% of expected EU demand by 2030. The European Commission says the Act will create the regulatory conditions necessary to attract and support investment, and help build more production facilities in a faster manner. The Commission has also recommended an EU-wide 90% net GHG emissions reduction target by 2040 compared to 1990 levels and put forward a series of measures to achieve it, including through the use of SAF. The industry alliance said while the inclusion of SAF in the NZIA would pave the way for the development of a strong EU SAF market, further policy action was needed to meet the updated 2040 climate ambitions.

The NZIA will enhance the competitiveness and resilience of the European cleantech industry and support the creation of green, quality jobs as the EU seeks to reach climate neutrality by 2050, claims the Commission. The regulation identifies a broad set of net zero technologies that can be supported through strategic projects such as solar photovoltaic, onshore and offshore wind, fuel cells, electrolysers, batteries, grid technologies and sustainable alternative transport fuels, including SAF.

“The NZIA political agreement is a significant stride towards realising our ambitious climate and economic objectives,” said the Commission’s President, Ursula von der Leyen. “It demonstrates our collective commitment to build a more sustainable, resilient and competitive industrial sector in Europe. Together, we are making the EU a global frontrunner in the clean energy transition.”

The Act aims to create a simplified and enabling regulatory environment that will reduce the administrative burden for cleantech manufacturing, accelerate CO2 capture and storage in the EU, facilitate market access for net zero products and support the development of net zero skills and innovation. It also foresees the creation of a ‘Net-Zero Europe Platform’ to serve as central coordination hub, fostering information and exchange to facilitate the implementation and supporting investment of initiatives throughout the EU.

Renewable hydrogen is seen as one of the key technologies of the NZIA and indispensable in reaching the EU’s 2030 climate targets and 2050 climate neutrality. “By scaling up its production, we will reduce the use of fossil fuels in European industries and serve the needs of hard-to-electrify sectors,” said the Commission. To this end, it is to set up the European Hydrogen Bank to support the uptake of renewable hydrogen within the EU, as well as imports from international partners, and unlock private investments in hydrogen value chains.

The EU has a legal target to reduce GHG emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels and has adopted a ‘Fit for 55’ legislative package to accomplish this goal, including the ReFuelEU regulation on mandating SAF uptake at EU airports. The new recommendation for a 90% reduction by 2040 target will help European industry, investors, citizens and governments to make decisions in this decade that will keep the EU on track to meet its climate neutrality objective in 2050, says the Commission.

“It will send important signals on how to invest and plan effectively for the longer term, minimising the risk of stranded assets,” it said on announcing the target. “With this forward-planning, it is possible to shape a prosperous, competitive and fair society, to decarbonise EU industry and energy systems, and to ensure that Europe is a prime destination for investment, with stable future-proof jobs.

“The EU will continue to develop the right framework conditions to attract investment and production. A successful climate transition should go hand-in-hand with strengthened industrial competitiveness, especially in cleantech sectors. Public investment should be well targeted with the right mix of grants, loans, equity, guarantees, advisory services and other public support. Carbon pricing should continue to play an important role in incentivising investments in clean technologies and generating revenues to spend on climate action and social support for the transition.”

Achieving the target would require both emissions reductions and carbon removals, added the Commission, with the deployment of carbon capture and storage technologies, as well as the use of captured carbon in industry. Carbon capture should be targeted to hard-to-abate sectors where alternatives are less viable and carbon removals will also be needed to generate negative emissions after 2050.

Under the ReFuelEU Aviation regulation, aviation fuel suppliers are obligated to ensure that all fuel made available to aircraft operators at EU airports incorporate 6% SAF in 2030, with 1.2% of fuels in 2030 being synthetic fuels. From 2040, the minimum share of SAF rises to 34%, of which a minimum share of 10% of synthetic fuels, reaching 70% and 35% respectively by 2050.

The 2040 recommendation will be followed by a legislative proposal made by the next Commission, after the European elections in June.

The inclusion of SAF in the NZIA is only the first step in developing a world-leading SAF industry in Europe, said the Destination 2050 cross-industry alliance of European airline, airport, civil aeronautics industry and air navigation service providers, which came together in 2021 to commission and then publish a decarbonisation roadmap for the European aviation sector.

“The Commission’s communication recommending the new 2040 target expressly recognises the need to address barriers to SAF deployment at scale, giving the aviation sector priority access to feedstocks and putting incentives in place to close the price gap between SAF and conventional kerosene. SAFs are a crucial component that will enable European aviation to accelerate its decarbonisation, in full alignment with the bloc’s ambitious climate agenda,” said a statement by the five members of the alliance – Airlines for Europe, ACI Europe, ASD, CANSO Europe and European Regions Airline Association.

“The international race to become a SAF leader has started and further policy incentives to scale up the production and uptake are required for Europe to become a leader in the global competition for SAF. These include the extension of the SAF flexibility mechanism beyond 2034; the extension of the current 20 million allowances threshold and 2030 time-limit under the SAF allowances mechanisms; and increased financial support for development of SAF, including through the Innovation Fund, as well as simplifying the administrative procedure for accessing these funds.”

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A new year overview of the airline industry by major commercial aircraft lessor Avolon says new technology fleets are “the largest lever available today to progress aviation’s sustainability agenda”, but warns that long and continuing delays to plane production and deliveries are forcing airlines to extend their use of existing, less-efficient airplanes. Avolon says huge orders for new jets have filled manufacturers’ order books into the next decade, while the complexity of new types, increased technical support required by operators and greater regulatory oversight have extended the time between programme launch for ‘clean sheet’ aircraft and their entry into service from seven years two decades ago to perhaps ten today. The lessor adds the best interim measure to reduce aviation’s emissions is to ramp up production of sustainable aviation fuel but in order to do so will require around $2 trillion of investment.

The Avolon report, titled ‘2024 Outlook: New Horizons’, was co-produced by two of the company’s key executives, Chief Risk Officer Jim Morrison and SVP Portfolio Strategy Marc Tembleque-Vilalta. Although it is focused on broader trends for commercial aviation this year, their report clearly identifies likely consequences of the industry’s current challenges, including potential setbacks to decarbonisation efforts.

“India, China and the Middle East are driving aviation’s growth,” commented Morrison, in reference to recent huge orders by airline companies including Air India Group and Emirates, while the report calls China “too big a market not to be a priority for Boeing and Airbus.”

“A structural undersupply of both narrowbodies and widebodies will take years to unwind,” added Morrison. “While new aircraft designs with step-change improvements in energy consumption will ultimately be required to decarbonise, in the short term the industry must focus on scaling up sustainable aviation fuel production.”

The report argues an international book-and-claim system would increase SAF availability by driving up demand, and attracting capital needed to fund increased production. “Airlines, lessors and corporates globally will have access to verified SAF credits that enable stakeholders to leverage SAF virtually to meet their net zero commitments without having to transport liquid fuels over long distances,” it says.

However, it cautions: “Issues abound, including defining what is SAF and what is not, and how government incentives should apply if the SAF buyer is out of the jurisdiction of production.”

Avolon highlights as a major issue the lack of new clean sheet aircraft models entering service before 2036.

“As aircraft have grown more complex and operators’ in-service reliability demands have increased, the time from programme launch to entry-into-service for clean sheet aircraft has increased from seven years two decades ago to perhaps ten today,” says the lessor. “The 2019 737 MAX grounding and realignment of international aviation regulators has contributed to prolonged development timelines.

“The 2010s was the first decade since the dawn of the jet era that no large new commercial aircraft clean sheet designs were launched by established manufacturers. That will change in the coming years as engineering talent needs to be redeployed or risk being lost, and market share competition forces product line refresh.”

The report says aero-engine manufacturers are already developing technologies needed to power all-new aircraft models. “Rolls Royce completed full power runs of its UltraFan demonstrator engine in 2023. CFM is progressing its open-rotor RISE concept. The next generation of aircraft are being prepared for when technology readiness levels and market conditions align.”

But Avolon adds that 2024 is too soon to launch a new programme as aerospace production systems stabilise and derivative aircraft models currently in development are certified by regulators. 

“The world’s delivered fleet of commercial aircraft grew every year until 2020,” says the lessor. “The sharp drop in new aircraft deliveries due to the pandemic, and the ensuing challenge to increase production rates, has meant 3,400 aircraft were not built. 

“With a shortage of new aircraft supply, major airlines are extending leases, buying used aircraft and using mergers and acquisitions to access new aircraft deliveries. Lack of capacity is supporting the return of the last generation of aircraft, with A380s and A330ceos back gainfully employed. Market lease rates rebounded with A330ceos up more than 35% in 2023, and further lease rate growth expected in 2024.

“Innovation will return to aviation, but market forces are stacked against bold bets at this point in the cycle. Given the 10 years plus it will take from project green light to certification, Boeing or Airbus will need to commit to a new clean-sheet design soon to enter service in the second half of next decade.”

Avolon says the value of new aircraft deliveries is expected to rise by over 15% to around $100 billion in 2024, with delivery of over 1,450 new large commercial aircraft helping to drive up passenger revenues up 12% to $717 billion. It projects airlines’ net profit will rise by 10% to $26 billion, with 4.7 billion expected to fly in 2024, more than any year in history.

It also foresees momentum building for sustainable aviation fuel, 600 million litres of which were produced last year, the equivalent of powering British Airways’ entire widebody fleet. But the lessor estimates $2 trillion of investment will be required to scale up production to levels required to hit net zero goals.

The Australian government has prioritised decarbonisation of air transport in its newly-released Aviation Green Paper, ‘Towards 2050’ (AGP50), which lays the foundations for the nation’s aviation policy over the next decades. The document identifies key issues and calls for industry and public submissions to help shape a long-term strategy, which will be unveiled next year in the government’s Aviation White Paper. AGP50 highlights the importance of sustainable aviation fuel and both electric and hydrogen propulsion technologies in reducing emissions from aircraft operations, while expecting all emitters in the aviation industry – not just airlines – to contribute to net zero commitments. Meanwhile, the nation’s largest airline company, the Qantas Group, has said it will increase its SAF commitments to as much as 500 million litres per year from 2028, in partnership with aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing, from which it has just placed firm orders  for 24 new widebody jets.

The Aviation Green Paper was launched by Catherine King, the national Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government. The focus on decarbonising Australia’s air transport forms part of the government’s broader 2030 programme to reduce carbon emissions by 43% below 2005 levels, enroute to its target of net zero emissions by 2050. “The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in the largest shock the aviation industry has ever experienced,” said King. “The next challenge is decarbonisation.” 

The Green Paper identifies four key pathways to decarbonise flight operations – primarily SAF, followed by fleet renewal, electric and hydrogen aircraft propulsion and air traffic management. Airports and other areas of the aviation industry, including airport service providers such as catering, security, safety, refuelling and aircraft support and maintenance, are all expected to rise to the net zero challenge.

According to the 224-page document, Australia could develop a diversified portfolio of locally-produced feedstocks to help establish a domestic SAF industry, but acknowledges large volumes were instead being exported to SAF producers in other countries, and that Australia’s lack of refining capacity reduced opportunities to develop renewable fuel.

However, it adds: “Large landmass, temperate climates, advanced farming practices and established land transport supply chains are potential assets to develop a range of biogenic feedstocks. These comparative advantages can be seen in Australia’s current production and export volumes in oilseeds, sugars and agricultural residues. 

“A situation where Australian-produced feedstock is exported internationally under long-term supply contracts could undermine feedstock use by Australian refiners and operators, and result in Australia missing out on the economic and sustainability benefits of domestic SAF production.”

Hydrogen propulsion is promising though “unlikely to enter widespread deployment until earliest 2035, with 2040-2050 more likely,” observes AGP50, while electric propulsion is expected for low-capacity, short-range flights by the early 2030s.

“Using new fuel such as hydrogen for longer-haul flights would face significant technological and supply chain challenges, such as developing onboard hydrogen storage and establishing large-scale green hydrogen production and distribution. Creating refuelling and recharging infrastructure and large-scale manufacturing capabilities will require time and investment, and costs are currently unclear.”

The Green Paper acknowledges the role of high-quality offsets as a means of achieving net emission reductions “rather than a measure to decarbonise aviation,” and notes demand had grown with net zero targets. It added: “Offsets will play a role in the near term as other technologies scale and in the long term to address residual CO2 emissions. However, social impact challenges remain about quality and transparency of offsets and reliability of accounting data.”

Under reforms to emissions safeguard mechanisms in Australia, emissions limits, or baselines, for Australia’s largest-emitting airlines will reduce by 4.9% per year, says the white paper, “creating demand for abatement options such as SAF, fleet renewal and the use of high-quality offsets.”

As well, because facilities which used carbon offsets equal to 30% or more of their baseline would need to detail why they were not delivering more actual emissions abatement, “this may drive increased uptake of SAF and other decarbonisation measures where available.”

Shifts to alternative transportation modes such as high-speed rail could dampen demand for flights, suggests the government, as might more use of technologies such as videoconferencing. “However, while these options exist in Australia, the country’s relatively lower connectivity, dispersed population and geographical isolation from the rest of the world may limit flight alternatives.”

The Aviation Green Paper was released soon after Qantas announced a large increase in its proposed uptake of SAF, in partnership with airframers Airbus and Boeing, as part of new orders for widebody jets. In addition to significant recent orders for narrowbody Airbus A220 and A320-family aircraft, and widebody Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, Qantas has ordered 12 more long range Airbus A350s and 12 more Boeings, a mix of 787-9s and larger 787-10s, to replace current A330s from 2027 and A380s from 2032.

The deals include access to up to 500 million litres of SAF each year from 2028, including the airline group’s current commitments for 80 million litres. This accounts for 90% of the company’s interim target that SAF should comprise 10% of its 2030 jet fuel consumption. The SAF would be sourced in the US, said Qantas, “at favourable prices due to favourable government polices” – a thinly-veiled reference to the current lack of government support for SAF development or incentives for use in Australia.

Photo: Qantas

The European Parliament has approved the ReFuelEU Aviation regulation that will oblige fuel suppliers to blend increasing levels of sustainable aviation fuels, including synthetic fuels, in jet fuel taken on-board at EU airports. Starting from 2025, at least 2% of aviation fuels will be green, with this share increasing every five years to reach 6% in 2030, 34% in 2040 and 70% in 2050. In addition, a specific proportion of the fuel mix – 1.2% in 2030, 2% in 2032, 5% in 2035 and progressively rising to 35% in 2050 – must comprise synthetic fuels, such as e-kerosene. According to the new rules, the term ‘sustainable aviation fuels’, will include synthetic fuels, certain biofuels produced from agricultural or forestry residues, algae, bio-waste, used cooking oil or certain animal fats, and recycled fuels produced from waste gases and waste plastic. The adoption of the regulation by MEPs has been welcomed by representatives of the European aviation industry.

The new rules were adopted by 518 votes in favour, 97 against and eight abstentions, and once approved by EU member states through the European Council, will apply as of 1 January 2024 and some provisions as of 1 January 2025.

The ReFuelEU Aviation initiative is part of a package of policy proposals, known as ‘Fit for 55’, by the European Commission to reduce the EU’s GHG emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.

“This is a tremendous step towards the decarbonisation of aviation,” commented the Parliament’s rapporteur, José Ramón Bauzá Diaz. “It is now time for EU governments to implement the new rules and support the industry to ensure the cost-effective deployment of sustainable aviation fuels across Europe as well as meeting EU targets. There is no time to lose.”

Under the rules, feed and food crop-based fuels, plus fuels derived from palm and soy materials will not be classified as green as they do not meet agreed sustainability criteria. As they see it as a promising technology, MEPs agreed to include renewable hydrogen as part of the sustainable fuel mix.

“In a complex and competitive world, I fully believe that ReFuelEU is a great opportunity to position the European Union as a global leader in the production and use of SAF,” said the rapporteur.

A joint statement by five European aviation industry associations representing airlines, airports, the civil aeronautics sector and air navigation service providers, said the legislation would back up their Destination 2050 roadmap published in February 2021 that laid out a strategy to reach net-zero CO2 emissions from all flights departing the EU, UK and EFTA by 2050, with SAF a “crucial component”.

They said the clear signal to investors and industrial partners would ensure the required uptake of SAF consumption and boost the European SAF industry. To become a global SAF leader, the ReFuelEU Aviation regulation should be complemented with further incentives to scale up SAF production and uptake in Europe, they suggested. They called for the inclusion of SAF into the EU Net-Zero Industry Act, mirroring the US approach in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Wider promotion of SAF around the world is also strongly recommended, said the Destination 2050 partners. “We call on states and the wider aviation industry across all world regions and at a global level to join forces and rally around ambitious and credible SAF objectives – to ensure aviation globally remains on track to attain the ICAO Long-Term Aspirational Goal of global net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

“A robust worldwide climate policy framework for SAF is needed. The November ICAO Conference on Aviation Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3) is a unique opportunity to put in place the right milestones and to deliver ambitious targets for SAF deployment worldwide.”

In further efforts to decarbonise the aviation sector and to better inform the public, MEPs also adopted a rule that as of 2025, there will be an EU label for the environmental performance of flights. Airlines will be able to market their flights with a label indicating the expected carbon footprint per passenger and the expected CO2 efficiency per kilometre. This is intended to allow passengers to compare the environmental performance of flights operated by different airlines on the same route.

The Parliament’s plenary session also agreed revisions to the Renewable Energy Directive, which includes rules on the eligibility of raw materials permitted in sustainable biofuels.

Welcoming the adoption of both pieces of legislation, Finnish renewable fuels producer Neste said they would create demand certainty and attract investment.

“Demand for renewable energy is only set to grow as we strive to meet our climate goals,” said Minna Aila, EVP Sustainability & Corporate Affairs at Neste. “We are better equipped to meet this demand if we have consistency in our legislation. Consistency allows stakeholders across the value chain to invest in the creation and provision of greater volumes of renewable products over a longer term and continue research and development in this field.”

Editor’s note: The ReFuelEU Aviation regulation and the ICAO CAAF/3 conference will be featured in sessions at Aviation Carbon 2023, co-organised by GreenAir News, taking place November 6/7 in London. GreenAir’s airline and aircraft operator readers can attend both days for free (subject to availability and T&Cs) by using the discount code 23-GREENAIR-100 when registering. Other readers can benefit from a special 20% discount by using the code 23-GREENAIR-20. The earlybird rate expires at the end of September so early booking highly recommended.

Christopher Surgenor

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IATA has announced a package of partnerships to help drive further cuts in aviation’s emissions in the air and on the ground. Together with the Aviation Impact Accelerator (AIA), an international collaboration of industry and academia, IATA will develop scenario-based tools that enable airlines to evaluate the costs of various carbon reduction pathways before choosing the measures most appropriate to their own circumstances. A second partnership, with the global engineering and project management company Atkins, will assist airports to measure the volume of carbon embedded in assets such as terminal buildings, runways and car parks, and provide tools to help cut the carbon footprint of future infrastructure projects. Additionally, the airlines body has announced it will publish an annual Track Zero report to transparently catalogue the industry’s progress towards its 2050 emission reduction targets.

The Aviation Impact Accelerator is a collective of international experts leveraging expertise sourced by the UK’s University of Cambridge to explore the cost to the aviation sector of achieving its commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. In partnership with IATA, the group is developing evidence-based tools that enable carriers to understand, map and select specific measures to guide their emissions reduction strategies.

“We are excited to launch this new collaboration between AIA and IATA, investigating realistic pathways for aviation’s transition to net zero emissions by 2050,” said AIA’s Lead, Professor Rob Miller, who is also Director of the Whittle Laboratory at University of Cambridge. Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA’s SVP Sustainability and Chief Economist, explained the partnership would enhance the airline industry’s understanding of the options available to cut flight emissions. “The development of different technological pathways will have an influence on the long-term outlook of our industry,” she said, “and our collaboration will notably explore this intersection.”

The AIA partnership will also consider cooperation to develop IATA’s Recommended Practice Per Passenger CO2 calculation methodology, which, when used together with verified operational data from airlines, provides detailed information about the carbon footprint of flying.

On the ground, the new collaboration of IATA and Atkins has produced a package of digital tools that will help airports estimate the embodied carbon linked to the construction of infrastructure, including terminals and runways. This initiative will provide carbon benchmarking for the three main asset categories at airports – terminal buildings, runways and multi-storey car parks – to enable airport growth teams to understand the carbon created by their development programmes and ways of mitigating future risk, beginning as early as the project design phase.

“Reaching net zero by 2050 will require collective efforts from the entire industry supply chain and from policymakers,” said Nick Careen, IATA’s SVP Operations, Safety and Security. “Our collaboration with Atkins on this innovative digital toolkit will help airports meet their own objectives by providing a crucial platform to evaluate and reduce carbon impacts for new airport developments. By facilitating dialogue around carbon mitigation from day one of an airport development project, together we are making headway towards net zero aviation.”

Andy Yates, Atkins’ Technical Director, Aviation Infrastructure, believes the partnership with IATA will lead the aviation sector into “a challenging and previously unexplored area of embodied carbon assessment,” he said. “The tools have been developed by a multi-disciplinary team including architecture, airport planning and structural design, as well as carbon experts, ensuring a solution that understands the complexity and multi-faceted approach needed to assess embodied carbon.”

Announced during its AGM in Istanbul last month, a third IATA partnership will see ATPCO, a provider of content to showcase airlines’ fares, in-flight amenities and merchandising, expand its offering to help prospective travellers understand the carbon cost of various itinerary options at the time they are researching air fares. ATPCO’s Routehappy programme will use IATA’s CO2 Connect databank, which provides airline-specific fuel burn information from 74 aircraft types and 881 aircraft operators, which collectively provide 93% of global air travel.

“We know travellers want to understand their flight’s environmental impact in a consistent, transparent and trustworthy way,” said IATA Director General Willie Walsh. “IATA CO2 Connect is the most accurate tool providing this information.”

Alex Zoghlin, ATPCO’s President and CEO, said the introduction of airline-specific emissions information added a new dimension to the merchandising data and content provided by his company, enabling passengers, corporate travel management companies and travel agents to access CO2 emissions information at the point of booking in order to compare flights and “make a more sustainable choice”.  

The new partnerships coincide with IATA’s decision to publish an annual Track Zero report from next year, to document the progress of the airline industry towards its 2050 emission reduction targets. “Transparency is a critical element of aviation’s decarbonisation,” explained IATA’s Owens Thomsen. “Industry-level data in the Track Zero report will help airlines, governments and investors with tools to improve decision making to accelerate progress.”

The decarbonisation of the industry is its highest priority but achieving net zero will come at a net extra cost of over €820 billion ($900m) for European aviation, a cost no sector can bear on its own, said Javier Marin, President of ACI Europe, in a plea for fiscal support. He told delegates at the airport body’s annual congress in Barcelona the EU’s Fit for 55 package will increase airfares and reduce demand, possibly by up to 20%, and with intra-European routes being the most impacted, regional airports and the communities would be most at risk of losing out on air connectivity. He called for additional policy and financial support to boost production of sustainable aviation fuels in Europe and access to green energy to support the deployment of hydrogen and electric/hybrid powered aircraft. During the meeting, held in conjunction with ACI World’s annual assembly, an Airports of Tomorrow initiative was launched with the World Economic Forum.

Marin, who is also Managing Director of Spanish airports operator Aena, restated the airport industry’s backing for the EU SAF mandates, which he said would provide the certainty needed to trigger investments in European production capabilities, and the importance of support mechanisms such as the EU Innovation Fund and SAF allowances under the EU ETS.

“We absolutely need to boost the production of SAF in Europe and bridge the gap with conventional fuels,” he said. “This requires concrete and actionable support beyond what is currently foreseen to counterbalance the very effective US approach of multiple tax breaks. This implies that SAF are designated as ‘net zero strategic technology’ under the EU Net Zero Industry Act and benefit from the related regulatory support. This also means European states must urgently work on their national SAF supply strategy together with industry – and provide direct financial support.”

He said deploying and servicing hydrogen-powered and electric/hybrid aircraft would involve reconfiguring energy supply, storage and distribution at airports.

“This will require not just massive investments, but also access to considerable green energy,” he told delegates at the ACI Europe/World Annual General Assembly in Barcelona. “This must be factored in and addressed in transport and energy policies in a coordinated way at European and national level. Delivering net zero aviation will be conditional upon no airport being left behind in the energy transition.”

Marin bemoaned the ability of airlines to “freely charge” passengers airfares “that have increased six times over the consumer inflation rate” while airports were “stuck” with charges that needed regulatory approval long in advance.

The meeting heard the total number of airports individually committed to net zero emissions in Europe had risen to 324 in 38 countries, accounting for 76% of the continent’s passenger traffic. Since last year’s pledge, 48 airports have advanced their target, while 132 airports are now committed to reaching net zero by 2030 or earlier.

The publicly available repository of airport net zero carbon roadmaps, provided by ACI Europe to ensure the transparency and efficacy of airports’ progress to their climate objectives, is expanding. The updated repository now covers 153 airports and ACI Europe’s Net Zero Resolution has a new requirement that commits airports to submit a roadmap within one year. An updated edition of the guidance document on developing an airport net zero roadmap was released during the meeting.

“The Resolution, first launched in 2019, has become a reference point for airports’ commitments and tangible progress in reaching net zero carbon as fast as possible,” commented Olivier Jankovec, ACI Europe’s Director General. “The European airport industry is embracing decarbonisation on an unprecedented scale.”

The Airports of Tomorrow initiative aims to bring public and private stakeholders together to address the energy, infrastructure and financing needs of the industry’s transition to net zero by 2050. Built on four pillars – infrastructure, sustainable aviation fuel, finance and innovation – the project will involve expertise exchange and knowledge sharing, the development of tools and guidance, and the advancement of advocacy.

“The initiative will help airports transform from passenger hubs into energy hubs. It is an exciting time for airports – the energy transformation presents them with an opportunity to further lead and change the future of aviation for the better,” said ACI World Director General Luis Felipe.

Added Lauren Uppink, Head of Climate Strategy at World Economic Forum: “We see airports as strategically located epicentres of activity, where leaders from across the aviation ecosystem can convene and work together to transform the industry. If the right planning and investment decisions are made today, airports can play a pivotal role in shaping a sustainable future for aviation as well as other sectors.

“The initiative will help airports harness these opportunities, enabling them to fulfil their potential as clean energy hubs and standard-bearers for the net zero economy.”

Photo (Aena): Barcelona-El Prat Airport

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“Our commitment to net zero by 2050 is fixed and firm,” IATA’s Director General, Willie Walsh, told delegates at the opening of this year’s annual gathering of airline executives, held recently in Istanbul. However, on the same day, one of the industry’s leading figures, Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, was telling CNN that net zero couldn’t be achieved within the 2050 timeframe and setting the goal was a “PR exercise”. The results of a survey of aviation industry decision-makers in six countries conducted by Ipsos on behalf of aircraft engine manufacturer GE Aerospace ahead of the Paris Air Show shows a similar difference of opinion as to whether the industry will meet its net-zero goal by mid-century. While a plurality (46%)  believe it can be met, 32% said it will not and 22% were unsure. On average, respondents believe it will be met by 2055.

In his interview with CNN, Al Baker, a current member and former chairman of the IATA Board of Governors, said industry targets were unrealistic, given the current volumes of sustainable aviation fuels being produced. Due to a lack of raw materials, even the 2030 volume target would not be reached, he added. He told CNN’s Richard Quest that net zero is achievable, “but to do it in the 2050 timeframe, the industry is far behind.”

In his opening address, Walsh said: “The sustainability challenge is, bar none, the biggest that we will face as leaders of the aviation industry. This will be difficult and take time.” Responding to Al Baker’s comments, he told CNN: “I think it would be wrong for us to try and convince people that this is going to be easy, and it’s going to be cheap – it’s not. But the idea that we can’t do it – no, I don’t accept that.”

The survey, conducted in May, of 325 aviation executives in China, India, UAE, France, UK and USA, showed 76% of respondents believed sustainability has fundamentally changed the way the industry operates, with a plurality (30%) identifying that meeting the industry’s sustainability goal is the top current challenge. A strong majority (88%) reported their organisations already had sustainability strategies in place, with most saying these strategies had already had a major or moderate impact on how their company operates (74%), invests (73%) and hires (62%).

The major hurdles cited by respondents in meeting the net zero challenge were rising costs, budgetary pressure, supply issues and energy resources. They identified advancements in fuels (SAF and hydrogen) and engines would play the biggest role in reaching net zero but were split as to whether progress is happening at the right pace, with 51% saying it is too slow. Government is seen as having a key role in applying the most pressure to accelerate decarbonisation, followed by investors.

The responses showed an overall even split on whether consumers were prepared to pay more for a sustainable flight. However, 74% of respondents from China believed they were willing but 65% of Indian respondents said industry could not rely on a willingness by consumers to pay more.

Commenting on the results of the survey, Allen Paxson, VP & GM Commercial Programs Strategy at GE Aerospace, said: “They show the aviation industry is focused on the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050, while also recognising the need to accelerate efforts and ensure all key stakeholders are on the playing field. With GE Aerospace and our partner engines powering three-quarters of the world’s flights, we recognise the important responsibility we have to meet the industry ramp and to do so more sustainably and more efficiently for our customers.”

Photo (Adam Senatori): GE’s GEnx engines power Qatar Airways’ Boeing 787-9 aircraft

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In his first public engagement since his coronation, King Charles III has broken ground on the New Whittle Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, a £58 million ($73m) facility aiming to become a leading global centre for net zero aviation and energy. Its mission is to halve the time to develop key technologies to support a sustainable aviation industry. The King met the Laboratory’s staff and researchers, as well as aviation industry and senior government representatives, who gathered for an international roundtable as part of an initiative led by Cambridge and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Participating organisations included the UK government, UK Aerospace Technology Institute, the US FAA, NASA, EU Clean Aviation Joint Understanding, Airbus, Boeing, Rolls-Royce and the Sustainable Markets Initiative. The facility will incorporate the Bennett Innovation Laboratory and the UK’s National Centre for Propulsion and Power, built around a fast feedback model pioneered in motor racing’s Formula One.

“We need to completely transform the innovation landscape in the aviation and energy sectors if we are to reach net zero by 2050,” commented Professor Rob Miller, Director of the Whittle Laboratory, which was opened in 1973 by Sir Frank Whittle, a pioneer in the development of modern power and propulsion systems for aircraft. “The New Whittle Laboratory has been designed as a disruptive innovation lab targeting the critical early stages in the lifecycles of technologies, where there are windows of opportunity to translate scientific strengths into global technological and industrial leadership.”

The roundtable shared insights based on global aviation systems modelling capabilities developed through the Aviation Impact Accelerator, a project led by the Whittle Laboratory and the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.

Today, reported Miller, it typically takes six to eight years to develop a new technology to a point where it can be considered for commercial deployment in the aerospace and energy sectors, but he said recent trials in the Laboratory had shown this timeframe can be accelerated by breaking down barriers that exist between academia and industry.

“The Lab is designed to work at the intersection of cutting-edge science and emerging  engineering applications, providing fast feedback between the two, and dramatically cutting the time to deliver zero-emission technologies,” added Miller.

The Bennett Innovation Laboratory is made possible through a gift from the Peter Bennett Foundation, himself a Cambridge alumnus and philanthropist. “To tackle the most complex challenges, we need to take a whole systems approach, where innovative technologies can be explored within the context of the realities that may impact their roll out. Rigorous testing using models such as the Aviation Impact Accelerator expedites the process of innovation and implementation.

“We need new ways to work together at speed, which is why the Bennett Innovation Lab will bring together global experts from government, industry and academia, enabling radical collaboration. I believe by using Cambridge’s convening power, this can make a real difference fast.”

Attending the event was the UK’s Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, who said: “The UK is leading a revolution in aviation, looking to new technologies to cut emissions. Having established the Jet Zero Council three years ago by bringing together government, industry and academia, I strongly welcome the Whittle Laboratory being at the forefront of that endeavour today. This will further help the best minds from the fields of energy and aviation push ever-further and faster with the latest innovations in order to solve the problem of environmentally friendly and affordable flying.”

Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has had a strategic research partnership with the Laboratory since the 1980s. “We look forward to continuing our relationship over the coming decades and we want our engineers to think of the new Lab as their European home – a unique environment where they can participate in a culture that brings together the best global ideas, expertise, software, tools and testing facilities that can help solve the challenge of climate change.”

The Laboratory also has a long association with aero engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce that has delivered hundreds of technologies into its products, said Rolls-Royce Chief Technology Officer, Grazia Vittadini. “Partnerships like this are critical if the UK is to maintain its role as a science superpower and to create high value jobs in the UK,” she said. “The New Whittle Laboratory offers an exciting opportunity to raise this ambition by bringing together cutting-edge science and engineering application in one building with the aim of meeting the challenge of net zero flight by 2050.”

Also represented at the event was US aeroplane manufacturer Boeing. “Our partnership with the University of Cambridge is central to the effort of making aviation carbon neutral,” said Jim Hileman, VP and Chief Engineer, Sustainability and Future Mobility. “As well as helping us to find technology solutions, it is bringing together different companies and academic disciplines from across the sector to drive change at the system level. We are excited by the way in which the New Whittle Laboratory has been designed to break down silos, bringing together a wide range of disciplines to take on the most challenging net zero aviation problems.”

When Prince of Wales, King Charles visited the Laboratory in 2020 and 2022 to encourage the acceleration of sustainable aviation. He hosted an industry roundtable in 2020 in London with the Sustainable Markets Initiative and the World Economic Forum to explore solutions for decarbonising air travel.

Photo (© University of Cambridge, Lloyd Mann): King Charles at the ground-breaking ceremony for the New Whittle Laboratory

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