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This week, the European Commission published the 4th edition of the European Aviation Environmental Report, providing a comprehensive review of the aviation sector’s environmental performance and progress since the 2022 edition. The report outlines critical recommendations to reduce aviation's impact on climate change, noise, and air quality, emphasising the importance of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), air traffic management optimisations, and more fuel-efficient technologies. By implementing these measures, aviation emissions could be reduced by at least two-thirds by 2050, with the remaining gap to net zero bridged through out-of-sector initiatives.

Since the 2022 report, notable progress has been made, particularly in SAF development, bolstered by the adoption of the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation in October 2023. The regulation mandates a 2% SAF share at EU airports by 2025, increasing to 6% by 2030. For 2030, this translates to 2.8 million tonnes of SAF, based on a forecasted total fuel consumption of 46 million tonnes. However, SAF production currently accounts for just 0.53% of global jet fuel consumption, highlighting the need for rapid scaling of production capacity.

Despite these advances, challenges remain. SAF is currently 3 to 10 times more expensive than traditional jet fuel, creating a significant cost barrier. To address this, the report stresses the importance of supportive policies, such as leveraging the Green Deal Industrial Plan, ETS allowances, and the ReFuelEU measures, to narrow the SAF price gap.

The report projects significant growth in air traffic, with annual flights in Europe expected to reach 11.8 million by 2050. However, this growth does not have to come at the expense of increased emissions. The report underscores the importance of decoupling air traffic from environmental impact, which is not only necessary but achievable.

CLECAT remains committed to supporting initiatives that enhance sustainability in aviation, including advocating for systems that allow EU fuel suppliers to trade SAF virtually within the EU. A ‘book and claim’ mechanisms, could foster competitive pricing, drive market demand, and encourage greater investment in SAF production.

The full report, published by the European Commission in collaboration with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), is available here.

Source: European Commission