European business aviation to uplift SAF beyond minimum requirements

The European Business Aviation Association and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association announced Jan. 31 a joint initiative aimed at significantly boosting the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) within the European business-aviation sector.

This ambitious move goes well beyond current legislative requirements, signaling a strong commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability in aviation.

The new recommendations, laid out in the report “Sustainable Aviation Fuel Recommendations for Business Aviation Across Europe,” detail strategies and measures to encourage operators to adopt SAF at a higher rate than what is mandated by existing regulations such as ReFuel EU.

Using a progressive scale-up approach, the industry underlines its commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, aligning with broader global environmental goals and the Business Aviation Commitment on Climate Change.

Central to these recommendations is a stepped approach for incrementally increasing the use of SAF within the European business-aviation sector.

The plan outlines ambitious yet achievable targets, starting with a goal of 5 percent SAF usage by 2025.

This initial step sets the foundation for more substantial increases: 20 percent by 2030, followed by a significant jump to 60 percent by 2040.

The roadmap then aims for an 80 percent utilization by 2045, culminating in a 100 percent SAF adoption by 2050.

The set of recommendations acknowledges the challenges faced in sourcing SAF, particularly its limited availability in certain regions.

To address this, EBAA and GAMA are advocating for the implementation of a robust and reliable book-and-claim system.

This innovative approach would allow operators to purchase SAF attributes when physical SAF is not accessible, thereby ensuring continued support for SAF production and use.

This system will enable operators to claim SAF benefits even when the fuel is used by a different aircraft in a different location, thus creating a global network of SAF contribution and support.

“This initiative is a testament to our industry’s dedication to sustainability,” said Holger Krahmer, EBAA secretary general. “We are not just meeting regulatory requirements, we are setting higher standards for ourselves and leading by example. It’s crucial that we support the development and distribution of SAF, and the book-and-claim system is a crucial tool allowing for an accelerated uptake of sustainable fuels.”

Pete Bunce, president and CEO of GAMA, added, “With SAF playing a key role in decarbonizing business aviation, it is vital that we work with authorities to incentivize and strengthen efforts to develop, deploy and increase overall usage of SAF. This initiative further demonstrates the industry’s commitment to achieving our sustainability goals.”

The EBAA and GAMA initiative comes at a critical time when the aviation industry is under increasing pressure to reduce its environmental impact.

By going above and beyond the minimum requirements, these organizations are paving the way for a more sustainable future in aviation.