Abstract:

The study finds that the European Commission’s original proposal for a sustainable aviation biofuel definition would provide more GHG savings compared to the Parliament and Council amendments because it would only qualify advanced biofuels with lower lifecycle emissions. The Parliament’s proposal to expand the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) definition to include electrolysis hydrogen and renewable electricity would encourage investment and innovation in these zero emission technologies for the aviation sector, increasing zero-carbon compliance options. Only fuel pathways that utilize green hydrogen produced from renewable electricity can provide the GHG reductions that policymakers seek in the aviation sector with certainty.