Air travel connects the world, linking people, culture, and ultimately enabling global economies to prosper. The aviation industry recognises that it must continue to deliver these benefits while reducing environmental impacts, and the sector has committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 or earlier. How can we achieve these ambitious, but crucial, goals? The good news is that if aviation sustainability follows the same trajectory as wind and solar, the industry can achieve these goals—however, much work and investment remains.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is an immediate and scalable solution to decarbonising the industry. As a quick primer, SAF is a mix of hydrocarbons that is chemically similar to conventional jet fuel but not derived from fossil fuels. SAF instead relies on carbon atoms from organic and waste materials known as feedstocks. These include waste oils, algae, forest residues, municipal solid waste, and industrial gasses, as well as atmospheric CO2. By utilising carbon that exists in or would have otherwise been emitted into the atmosphere, SAF can lower CO2 emissions from aviation by up to 100% compared to conventional jet fuel.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/scale-sustainable-aviation-fuel-in-the-next-decade-davos23/