On Wednesday, MEPs approved a new law to increase the uptake of sustainable fuels, such as advanced biofuels or hydrogen, in the aviation sector.
The RefuelEU aviation rules are part of the “Fit for 55 package”, the EU’s plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels and to ensure the EU becomes climate neutral by 2050. They seek to encourage the aviation sector to use sustainable aviation fuels in order to cut emissions.
Ambitious timeline
MEPs secured an ambitious timeline on the provision of the jet fuel mix, obliging EU airports and fuel suppliers to ensure that, starting from 2025, at least 2% of aviation fuels will be green, with this share increasing every five years: 6% in 2030, 20% in 2035, 34% in 2040, 42% in 2045 and 70% in 2050. In addition, a specific proportion of the fuel mix (1.2% in 2030, 2% in 2032, 5% in 2035 and progressively reaching 35% in 2050) must comprise synthetic fuels like e-kerosene.
What is green?
According to the new rules, the term ‘sustainable aviation fuels’ will include synthetic fuels, certain biofuels produced from agricultural or forestry residues, algae, bio-waste, used cooking oil or certain animal fats. Recycled jet fuels produced from waste gases and waste plastic are also considered ‘green’.
MEPs ensured that feed and food crop-based fuels and fuels derived from palm and soy materials will not be classified as green as they do not meet the sustainability criteria. They also managed to include renewable hydrogen as part of a sustainable fuel mix, a promising technology that could progressively contribute to the decarbonisation of air transport.
New flight label
To promote decarbonising in the aviation sector and to better inform the public, MEPs ensured that, as of 2025, there will be an EU label for the environmental performance of flights. Airlines will be able to market their flights with a label indicating the expected carbon footprint per passenger and the expected CO2 efficiency per kilometre. It will allow passengers to compare the environmental performance of flights operated by different companies on the same route.
Quotes
Parliament’s rapporteur José Ramón Bauzá Díaz said: “This is a tremendous step towards the decarbonisation of aviation. It is now time for EU governments to implement the new rules and support the industry to ensure the cost-effective deployment of Sustainable Aviation Fuels across Europe as well as meeting EU targets. There is no time to lose. In a complex and competitive world, I fully believe that ReFuelEU is a great opportunity to position the European Union as a global leader in the production and use of SAF.?
Next steps
The new rules on sustainable aviation fuels were adopted by 518 votes in favour, 97 votes against and eight abstentions. Once the European Council has approved them, new rules will apply as of 1 January 2024 and some provisions as of 1 January 2025.
European aviation industry looks forward to global progress following adoption of European legislation on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
The five leading European aviation associations representing Europe’s airlines, airports, civil aeronautics industry and air navigation service providers, which are close partners through the DESTINATION 2050 alliance – A4E, ACI EUROPE, ASD, CANSO Europe, and ERA – today welcomed the adoption of the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation and look forward to further SAF deployment globally.
The adoption marks an important and timely step necessary to realising the ambitious decarbonisation targets set out in the DESTINATION 2050 roadmap. Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) are a crucial component of this roadmap and today’s adoption of the ReFuelEU legislation lays the foundation for ambitious blending shares of SAF in aviation fuel.
While EU investors and industrial partners have now received a clear signal to unleash their investments, the EU shall ensure that the required uptake of SAF consumption will boost the European SAF industry. The international race to become a SAF leader has started and the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation should therefore be complemented with further incentives to scale up SAF production and uptake in Europe through their inclusion into the EU Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA) as part of the strategic net-zero technologies, mirroring the US approach in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Aviation is global by nature and we need to ensure the decarbonisation of aviation is global as well. The European air transport sector strongly encourages the wider promotion of SAF around the world. The DESTINATION 2050 partners call on states and the wider aviation industry across all world regions and at global level to join forces and rally around ambitious and credible SAF objectives – to ensure aviation globally remains on track to attain the ICAO Long-Term Aspirational Goal (LTAG) of global net-zero carbon emissions for aviation by 2050.
Political support for the net-zero future of aviation is key. It requires policies and incentives that scale up the global development and production of SAF.
A robust worldwide climate policy framework for SAF is needed. The November 2023 ICAO Conference on Aviation Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3) is a unique opportunity to put in place the right milestones and to deliver ambitious targets for SAF deployment worldwide.