Meta, BoA & BCG join collective for sustainable aviation biofuels

So, some of the largest corporates in the world are collaborating to buy sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

But what is SAF, and why is it important?

Aviation accounts for about 2% of all global CO2 emissions. Being a sector where green branding is perhaps a bit more important than for many other sectors, airlines have been trying to significantly reduce their emissions.

But reducing aircraft emissions are a lot more difficult than it is for road transport – one of the reasons being that the shift to electric (at least battery based electric) is a long, long way away for commercial aviation.

The aviation sector is thus keen on a low-carbon drop-in replacement for its fuel – a sustainable alternative that does not require significant changes to engines or operations.

Sustainable aviation fuels are an answer to this need. Made from feedstock such as biomass and municipal solid waste, these are liquid fuels that are very similar in characteristics to the aviation fuels that are in use today that they can be blended with or even completely replace conventional aviation fuels.

While SAF contributes an insignificant share to the total aviation fuel use as of 2023, it promises a lot more over the next decade, given that there are very few alternatives available for aviation – hydrogen being one of them.