by Elsie Clark | Mar 18, 2026 | Sustainability
The UK’s ‘Jet Zero’ taskforce have published their first annual report after the government introduced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) targets at the beginning of 2025.
The mandate sets guidelines for achieving 10% SAF blending by 2030. Supported by a Revenue Certainty Mechanism and a £63 million Advanced Fuels Fund, aviation minister Keir Mather said at the Sustainable Skies World Summit that the progress made so far was ‘encouraging’. He added:
We must be clear eyed that there is still a long way to go on this journey and there are real challenges ahead but there are enormous opportunities too.
The green transition is not only about protecting our planet but also about strengthening our economy and our resilience. In an uncertain world, energy security has never been more important and that is why we must keep building momentum, boosting the production and deployment of SAF, backing technological renovation, improving efficiency and building robust carbon markets.
Alongside scaling SAF, the UK government is expanding the Hydrogen Challenge programme and launching a £240 million fund for next-generation aerospace technologies. Sustainable Aviation also announced a £2 million greenhouse gas removals (GGR) initative alongside the report, with estimates suggesting that the UK’s aviation industry will need 20 to 30 million tonnes of carbon removed each year by 2050.
Duncan McCourt, Chief Executive of Sustainable Aviation, said:
The UK aviation industry is working hard to address its climate impact. Scaling Greenhouse Gas Removals is essential for hard-to-abate sectors, and this Advanced Market Signal is the aviation industry acting now to help stimulate the growth of the GGR sector.
We have also made clear today that the aviation industry supports action to address the non-CO₂ impact of aviation. By accelerating research, trials and collaboration, we can deliver practical solutions that reduce aviation’s full climate impact.
Join us at Aerospace Tech Week 2026 to discuss sustainable aviation.
by Elsie Clark | Mar 9, 2026 | Innovation, Sustainability
Equilibrion and Rolls Royce have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop British sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production through nuclear power.
The Rolls Royce small modular reactor (SMR) can support the deployment of cost-effective, sustainable energy. Equilibrion’s proprietary Eq.flight SAF production system, meanwhile, is designed to minimise energy use during the SAF production process. Each Rolls Royce SMR has the potential to produce 160 million litres of SAF a year, representing a significant contribution to the UK’s SAF target, set at 22% of aviation fuel by 2040.
Caroline Longman, Director at Equilibrion, said:
Aviation will only meet its climate commitments if SAF becomes available in large, dependable volumes. Nuclear‑derived fuel production offers the reliability, scalability and low carbon intensity needed to deliver that future. Delivering nuclear‑enabled SAF also creates long‑term, high‑quality employment—each Eq.flight facility has the potential to generate around 10,000 skilled local jobs over its lifetime.
IATA has previously warned that SAF production systems are lagging far behind what is necessary to meet net-zero targets, with supply meeting only 1% of global demand. Nuclear-powered production would not only accelerate the supply chain but lower the carbon footprint of the entire SAF process. Alan Woods, Director of Strategy and Business Development for Rolls-Royce SMR, addded:
Our SMR technology is designed to provide clean, affordable and dependable low‑carbon energy, exactly the qualities required to unlock large‑scale Sustainable Aviation Fuel production. The technical and economic assessment completed with Equilibrion will enable them to demonstrate how nuclear can power one of the most ambitious decarbonisation challenges in aviation.
Join us at Aerospace Tech Week 2026 to discuss sustainable aviation.
by Elsie Clark | Feb 16, 2026 | Innovation, Sustainability
London Heathrow Airport has set the ambitious target of exceeding the UK government’s sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) target by 2% in 2026. This year, regulations stipulate that 3.6% of all aviation fuel used in the UK should be sustainable. However, Heathrow is going further with a 5.6% target, backed by an £80 million fund.
Matt Gorman, Heathrow’s Director of Sustainability, said:
Sustainable Aviation Fuel is not a hypothetical concept for the future, it’s already producing real impact in 2026. Heathrow is leading the way globally, with 17% of the world’s SAF supply in 2024 used at the airport. SAF is a key lever on aviation’s journey to net zero by 2050, and a key element of Heathrow’s Net Zero Plan. Our incentive delivers real progress today, as well as a future promise for tomorrow.
The initiative forms part of Heathrow’s wider sustainability plans, which will also see it exceed UK government mandates. By 2030, 10% of fuel used in the country must be SAF, but Heathrow plans to scale their targets to achieve 11% SAF use that same year. The £80 million will help make SAF more competitive with traditional kerosene fuels while reducing the cost impact on airlines — a common criticism of existing SAF mandates.
Overall, the plans will see 350,000 tonnes of SAF used at Heathrow in 2026. This results in a carbon saving of approximately 600,000 tonnes, the equivalent of 950,000 economy passengers flying a round-trip between Heathrow and JFK.
Join us at Aerospace Tech Week 2026 to discuss sustainable aviation.
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by Elsie Clark | Jan 28, 2026 | Innovation, Sustainability
EcoCeres has launched its first sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant in Johor, Malaysia. Growing from Hong Kong, the company’s original facility in Zhangjiagang, China, has made it one of the world’s leading SAF suppliers. The Johor plant will also produce hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and renewable naphtha, and can ultimately operate at a production capacity of 420,000 tonnes a year.
Matti Lievonen, CEO of EcoCeres, said:
The Johor plant is a major step forward for EcoCeres’ regional platform and for Malaysia’s renewable fuel industry.
It also demonstrates our commitment to reliable supply capability and high product quality as customers’ demand for renewable fuel solutions accelerates. This facility supports Malaysia’s transition towards net-zero while strengthening Hong Kong’s strategic position as a regional hub for financing and scaling sustainable energy projects, enabling the supply of sustainable fuels to global industries. Our waste-to-fuel technology proves that economic growth and environmental stewardship can go hand-in-hand.
A 2025 report from IATA found that SAF production potential is 100 million tonnes (Mt) short of what is required by 2050. However, additional research from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) found that multiple countries in the region could become net SAF exporters. As well as Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand have abundant feedstock for supplying the entire Asia-Pacific region, but production needs to scale quickly to meet the demands of airlines and the climate.
Join us at Aerospace Tech Week 2026 to discuss sustainable aviation.
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by Elsie Clark | Jan 8, 2026 | Innovation, Sustainability, Video
Boasting more than 600 aircraft that fly to over 250 destinations, the International Airlines Group (IAG) manages some of Europe’s best-known airlines, including British Airways, Iberia, and Vueling. But how can the group manage an effective sustainability strategy across these unique brands?
In an exclusive interview at World Aviation Festival 2025, Jonathon Counsell, Group Director of Sustainability at IAG shared his insight on setting the direction. While aviation’s overall enthusiasm for ESG might have waned from its peak in the mid-2010s, IAG remain committed to their 2050 net-zero emissions target.
We recognise that this is a long-term challenge for us. We have to address our carbon emissions, and we have as an industry a clear roadmap to do that. Fundamentally, climate change is driven by the science, not just politics. So it’s something we have to do.
IAG is currently on track to achieve its 10% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) target by 2030. US$3.5 billion has been invested so far through partnerships with cutting edge companies such as Infinium, a low-carbon eFuels developer. Counsell sees ‘real value’ in bringing the five member airlines together to share progress and success stories.
It’s quite a close group. We meet every month, and every quarter we have a two-day workshop where we all get together. It’s fantastic to see the sharing of best practice among all the different participants.
IAG’s other investments include ZeroAvia, developers of hydrogen-propelled aircraft. However, Counsell believes in the short term SAF production needs to accelerate to reduce the impact of this hard-to-decarbonise industry, especially while demand continues to outstrip supply.
I truly believe there is a first-mover advantage when it comes to decarbonisation. Our view is that some of the advanced fuels in the second and third generations will be in short supply post-2030. So we think it’s really important that companies get into the market early to secure the regular supply of these SAFs.
🎥 Watch the interview to hear the full conversation on sustainability with Jonathon Counsell.
Questions asked include:
- Do you think that geopolitical change has slowed momentum on sustainability in aviation?
- IAG has committed to net-zero emissions by 2050. What progress have you made on that goal so far? What are the Group’s biggest success stories?
- As an airline group, you have to oversee the sustainability targets of five separate airlines. Is it a challenge bringing all these parties together, or do you see it as an opportunity for greater collaboration?
Jonathon Counsell will be speaking at Aerospace Tech Week 2026. Join us.
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