Europe’s sustainable aviation fuel mandate leads world in policy — and debate

The EU’s reputation of leading on climate issues is proving true once again with the adoption of sustainable aviation fuels. The bloc’s parliament is set to vote on new requirements later in June that would help cut carbon pollution by the end of the decade, while stirring debate in some industry circles. EU transport ministers have recommended that the bloc mandate that 6% of all aviation fuel at European airports be of the sustainable variety by 2030. The mandate, known as ReFuelEU, is part of a larger package of carbon emissions reduction initiatives that aim to cut the bloc’s emissions 55% from 1990 levels by 2030. The European parliament is set to vote on the larger package, dubbed Fit for 55, by the end of June. If approved, the policy would still need to be finalized across the branches of the EU government — a process comparable to the reconciliation of bills in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate — before a planned implementation deadline of January 1, 2023. <br/>The mandate would “stimulate production and use of sustainable fuels,” France’s minister for ecological transition Amélie de Montchalin said on June 1 after a meeting of transport ministers. “The aim is to reduce the carbon footprint with in particular the obligation to use more and more alternative fuels that are sustainable in aviation.” Sustainable aviation fuel is seen by many in the industry as the easiest and fastest way to reduce carbon emissions. Global airline group the IATA’s goal of carbon neutral aviation by 2050 relies on 65% of fuel needs coming from sustainable fuels. To put this in perspective, today a fraction of 1% of aviation fuel is the sustainable variety.<br/>