The industry is today (17 April) gathering at the Sustainable Skies World Summit at Farnborough, where it will detail an updated Net Zero Carbon Road Map, reflecting advances in sustainable technology made in the UK.

Industry coalition Sustainable Aviation will update plans published in 2020 and 2021. They highlight the potential for SAF and zero-carbon emission technologies such as hydrogen powered aircraft and carbon removal, together with advances made in modernising airspace, which it is claimed will help UK aviation reach net zero by 2050. 

Sustainable Aviation said the UK lagged far behind other nations like the US.

“The US has passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes hundreds of billions of dollars in incentives for low-carbon technologies, including SAF and hydrogen production, and the EU is distributing billions of euros in carbon allowances to help subsidise the higher cost of SAF for its airlines.”

Sustainable Aviation called for price support and commercial SAF production “at scale” this decade, “meeting the government’s commitment to seeing five UK SAF plants under construction by 2025, by providing an industry-funded price stability mechanism alongside a SAF mandate, whilst prioritising access to UK sustainable feedstocks”.

It argues similar schemes were introduced by the government to support offshore wind power and are proposed for hydrogen fuel.

The lobby group also called for more investment in zero carbon emission flight technology by increasing matched funding levels to research programmes and accelerating the rollout of carbon removals.

Sustainable Aviation chair Matt Gorman said: “This is the critical decade where aviation must prove it will decarbonise. Our updated Net Zero Carbon Road Map shows that we have a clear, credible path to take the carbon out of flying.

"Through a combination of sustainable aviation fuel, more efficient aircraft and airspace, zero emission planes and carbon removals, we can protect the huge benefits of aviation for future generations without the carbon cost. 
 
“But we’ll do it faster, and create more jobs and investment in the UK, with the right policies, working in partnership with government. 

“The US and Europe are surging forwards in the race to create new industries in sustainable aviation fuels and technology. The UK has all the natural advantages to be able to join them - but we need to move quickly.”