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Aviation stakeholders agreed on the need to come together behind the industry’s aggressive carbon reduction target, but it was clear that the way forward is still being mapped, based on the high-level panel discussion bringing together airlines, OEMs, SAF providers and government.
Annie Petsonk, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs, US Department of Transportation, outlined how governments can play a supportive role. She cited the SAF Grand Challenge announced by the Biden Administration, to incentivize the production of at least 11 billion liters of SAF by 2030.
Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO LanzaTech cited the importance of interim targets, such as a 2030 goal on SAF - possibly around 10% - to set the pathway towards the industry’s target of net-zero carbon by 2050.
Stanley Deal, CEO Boeing Commercial Airplanes complemented the Biden Administration on their approach to incentivizing SAF.
Pieter Elbers, CEO KLM mentioned that despite political changes, the societal shift in focus on climate means that sustainability and climate will remain top priorities for airline customers. KLM has seen a rise in customer awareness – both passenger and cargo – with more of them engaged with offset purchases and SAF commitments. Aside from customers, the employees of the industry – including young engineers at Boeing for example, are asking specifically about the sustainability objectives before accepting jobs.
