European airlines outpace US carriers on cleaner jet fuel

In the quest to shrink the outsized climate impact of air travel, airlines across the globe have vowed to consume vast quantities of greener jet fuel. But most airlines are lagging far behind their pledges, according to a Bloomberg Green analysis of corporate environmental filings for 2023. Although many airlines have promised to get at least 10% of their propellant from cleaner sources by the end of the decade, the use of sustainable aviation fuel, or “SAF,” grew from 0.04% of global aviation fuel in 2021 to 0.17% in 2023, according to estimates from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). European airlines are trouncing competitors in the US and elsewhere. That’s due, in part, to a government mandate, with the European Union requiring airlines to use 2% SAF starting next year. Other governments are following with mandates of their own, including the UK, Singapore and British Columbia. By contrast, the US has embraced a voluntary approach, with the government offering lucrative incentives for SAF but not requiring airlines to purchase the cleaner fuels, which cost about three-times more than conventional jet fuel.“There’s a real meaningful stick forcing [European airlines] to use it,” says Nik Pavlenko, who leads the fuels team at the International Council on Clean Transportation, a nonprofit think tank. “In the US, there’s still a bit of cognitive dissonance between the 2050 net-zero claims and the excitement about SAF, and what airlines are actually willing to pay for if they don’t have to.”DHL Group leads the world in SAF adoption, getting more than 3% of its aviation fuel from cleaner sources last year. To achieve this, the Bonn, Germany-based cargo carrier purchased more lower-emission jet fuel than all US airlines combined. In stark contrast to its European competitor, Memphis-based FedEx Corp. didn’t purchase any SAF last year, despite a pledge to get 30% of its jet fuel from cleaner sources by 2030. Story has more details.<br/>