Following the release this week of a new intermediate emissions target for the EU’s net zero 2050 goal, five associations have rallied together to demand more action from EU officials.
ACI Europe, A4E (Airlines for Europe), ASD (AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe), CANSO Europe and ERA (European Regions Airline Association) in a joint statement said the new target “expressly recognised the need to address barriers to SAF deployment at scale”.
To address this issue, the organisations stressed that the aviation sector must be given priority access to feedstocks and that the EU put incentives in place to close the price gap between SAF and conventional aviation fuel.
The groups also pointed to the recent inclusion of SAF as a ‘strategic net zero technology’ under the EU Net Zero Industry Act, labelling it as “only the first step” in developing the region’s SAF industry.
“SAFs are a crucial component that will enable European aviation to accelerate its decarbonisation, in full alignment with the bloc’s ambitious climate agenda,” the statement continued.
“The international race to become a SAF leader has started and further policy incentives to scale up the production and uptake are required for Europe to become a leader in the global competition for SAF.”
The associations also called for an extension of current SAF flexibility mechanisms, increased financial support for SAF development, including through the Innovation Fund, as well as simplifying the administrative procedure for accessing these funds.
Tags: ACI Europe, A4E (Airlines for Europe), SAF, European airport, aviation groups
