Decarbonising the aviation industry.
The ReFuelEU agreement will help decarbonise the aviation industry and give consumers more emissions transparency.
The aviation sector comprises 13% of all CO2 emissions in the EU bloc, with road transport following. Aviation emissions grew by 5% year-on-year between 2013 and 2019 before being halted by the COVID pandemic. However, the trend has since continued its rise.
On a positive note, the ReFuelEU aviation agreement reached by EU negotiators will require the sector to progressively blend sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) with kerosene on flights within and departing the EU between 2025 and 2050, which is part of the bloc's efforts to be carbon neutral by 2050.
The blending mandate covers biofuels, recycled carbon fuels and synthetic aviation fuels (e-fuels) in line with the Renewable Energy Directive but excludes food and feed crops.
Here is a quick summary of the agreement's mandates:
✈ By 2025 SAF should account for a minimum of 2% of fuel at EU airports, 6% by 2030, 20% by 2030, and a maximum of 70% by 2050.
✈ Airports will be required to ensure their infrastructure can accommodate SAF fuelling.
✈ Operators departing from EU airports may refuel only with the fuel necessary for the flight to avoid emissions related to extra weight or carbon leakage caused by 'tankering', a practice of deliberately carrying excess fuel to prevent refuelling with SAF.
✈ An EU labelling scheme will be introduced in 2025, requiring operators to indicate the expected carbon footprint per passenger and the CO2 efficiency per flight.
✈ Any fines incurred from non-compliance with the requirements will go to a 'SAF Fund', which will stimulate innovation and research, specifically in aviation and invest in zero-emissions technologies and sustainable infrastructure.
The measures are expected to reduce aircraft emissions by about two-thirds by 2050, a significant step forward in decarbonising the sector.
And with labelling and more transparency on flight carbon emissions, passengers will hopefully favour greener options, thus encouraging healthy competition amongst operators.
So next time you shop for flights, pick a green label!
