Sustainable Aviation Fuel Initiative
ABOUT SAF
The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Initiative Is: Emissions Reduction Through Investment, Innovation
The industry’s commitment to emissions reduction was further codified through the Business Aviation Commitment on
Climate Change, with three aspirational goals contained in the commitment, unveiled in Nov. 2009:
An Industry Committed to Emissions Reduction
The business aviation community has long been committed to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from aircraft, with a proven record of advances in carbon reduction. The industry has continually promoted investment in, and development of, innovative products, procedures and policies aimed at reducing
its environmental footprint.
Our goals will be met through advancements in four pillars:
More efficient
operations
Continuing Infrastructure Improvements
Market-based Measures
Technology, including the development of alternative aircraft fuels
Continually Working Toward a Lower-Carbon Future
The Business Aviation Coalition for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF Coalition) in August 2020 released a new informational guide detailing how industry leaders can incorporate SAF into their operations and accelerate the adoption of low-carbon fuels, while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The guide, titled Fueling the Future, serves as an educational and informational resource about the practicalities of SAF development, industry adoption, and pending expansion of supply and use, primarily from the perspectives of the business aviation community. The guide has been authored by an aviation coalition, which includes:
Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI)
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In the guide, the authors outline three key themes regarding SAF:
SAF IS SAFE, AND
AVAILABLE TODAY
They have been tested by manufacturers of aircraft, engines and components, to assure their reliability and safety, in the air and on
the ground.
Equally important, the fuels can be blended with current fuels, so manufacturers do not have to redesign engines or aircraft. The fuels can simply be “dropped-in” whenever they are available.
SAF OFFERS
MANY BENEFITS
They support compliance with emerging international emissions standards, including the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), set forth by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), as well as the European Union (EU) Emissions Trading Scheme, set forth by EU authorities.
Their use also allows operators and others in industry to achieve corporate social responsibility goals, and demonstrate the industry’s commitment to addressing climate change.
Alternative fuels may provide improved efficiency, reducing operating costs and extending flight-range capabilities.
SAF IS A "WIN-WIN-WIN" FOR ALL STAKEHOLDERS
As some types of alternative fuels have been developed, questions have been asked about trade-offs: does a natural resource become depleted to a degree that it is no longer available to other end users?
With these fuels – several of which are based on feedstocks ranging from cooking oil, plant oils, municipal solid waste, waste gases, sugars, purpose-grown biomass, and some crops and agricultural residues – sustainability is a vital component.
Even when considering the emissions produced in growing, transporting, harvesting, processing and refining the inputs, there are significant reductions in carbon lifecycle emissions, compared to fossil fuels.