U.N. Conference Sets 2030 Goal for Cleaner Aviation Fuels Amid Reservations

Airlines and plane makers aim for 80% reduction in fuel carbon intensity by 2050, but sustainable aviation fuel remains costly and scarce.

Nations at U.N.-led talks agreed on an interim 2030 goal for reducing emissions from international aviation through the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), but China, Russia and some others voiced reservations about the impact on their economies.
Airlines are under pressure to lower emissions from flights after countries at an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) assembly joined the industry last year to target net-zero emissions from the sector by 2050.
Delegates from more than 100 countries are debating ways to boost the supply of SAF made from materials like used cooking oil. SAF is key to lowering emissions from aviation, but remains costly and in short supply.
Major airlines and plane makers want the Dubai gathering to set a global goal of achieving around an 80 per cent reduction in aviation fuel carbon intensity from the use of SAF in 2050, compared with traditional fossil fuels.
Industry estimates it will take between US$1.45 trillion and US$3.2 trillion in financing for SAF capital development to achieve the sector's net zero emissions goal.