Disparaging the Horses on Which They Rode In

On 13 January 2023, a global coalition for business aviation sustainability announced that the broader aviation industry—in keeping with the precepts of the World Economic Forum’s Clean Skies for Tomorrow initiative—is offering a market-based solution to help offset the carbon emissions of flights to and from the Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland—which begins on 16 January.

Jet Aviation—a Basel, Switzerland-based provider of business aviation services—is encouraging attendees traveling to the Davos forum via business aircraft to use Book-and-Claim, a transaction that secures the purchase of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)—even if SAF is not available from the buyer’s departure airport.

Book-and-Claim, which has been used for many years within the energy sector, reduces carbon emissions and increases demand for SAF, thereby incentivizing more production. Sustainable Aviation Fuels—according to those who promote, produce, and sell them—are capable of reducing aviation greenhouse gas emissions by as much as eighty-percent.

The World Economic Forum’s Clean Skies for Tomorrow’s Policy Lead, Adrienne Gibbs, stated: “Each year, participants to Davos are encouraged to purchase sustainable aviation fuel to inset their transportation. Purchasing SAF provides travelers with a way to directly invest in eliminating aviation lifecycle emissions. Clean Skies for Tomorrow is excited about the progress made on SAF in recent years, and about the purchase options that exist for both business aviation customers and those traveling on commercial airlines. Our hope is that in the future, flying on SAF becomes the norm.”

Jet Aviation President, David Paddock added: “We are committed to providing sustainable choices for our customers. We also recognize that achieving a more sustainable future is not just about the services we provide, but how we provide them, and how we do business in the communities in which we operate. Book & Claim allows anyone traveling to and from Davos to support sustainability and grow the market for sustainable aviation fuels.”

The Book-and-Claim buyer—ironically—does not consume the sustainable fuel; rather, the SAF is inserted into the supply chain by Jet Aviation via an independent transaction while the buyer, or operator, gets a credit for the SAF purchase and the commensurate emissions reduction. The initiative underscores the determination with which business aviation has set out to decarbonize its operations and achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

In addition to SAF, the aviation industry is cutting emissions by increasing efficiency on the ground and in the air, developing new propulsion systems and zero-emissions advanced air mobility, and using other initiatives that invest in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

International Business Aviation Council Director General and SAF Coalition Steering Committee Co-Chair Kurt Edwards asserted: “Business aviation is deeply committed to climate action, and we are proud that we have reduced our carbon emissions forty-percent over the past forty-years. Our member companies have been at the forefront of the aviation industry’s drive to sustainability. Book and Claim enables our operators to encourage the production of SAF and participate now in the decarbonization of the sector.”

Globally, business aviation produces 0.04% of carbon emissions.

2022 saw the aviation industry slouch toward sustainability. SAF production doubled in 2022, and supplies—according to recently released data—are expected to grow more than four-hundred-percent between 2022 and 2025. After the prevailing fashion of prioritizing optics ahead of action, the Assembly of 193 International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) members pledged to support the long-term aviation goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. What’s more, U.S. policymakers enacted a blenders tax credit to incentivize SAF production.

Mr. Edwards concluded: “We have been striving to become more sustainable for many years, and the impact of our efforts is now becoming clearer. Our industry will continue to innovate and increase aviation’s climate action to achieve our carbon reduction goals.”

FMI: www.futureofsustainablefuel.com