Photo by Skyler Smith on Unsplash. An airport with many planes parked.
By AFP - Agence France Presse
IATA chief says sustainable jet fuel supply not enough
The head of the world's aviation industry body complained on Tuesday that the current supply of new low-carbon aircraft fuels risks not being enough to help the sector meet climate targets.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said in a statement that production of “sustainable aviation fuels” is expected to reach 1.3 billion liters in 2024, more than double the previous year's figure.
This figure was lower than the 1.9 billion liters forecast by IATA for this year for the fuels, which are produced from sources such as “biomass” - plant or animal matter - or used cooking oil.
The level is expected to rise to 2.7 billion liters by 2025 - just 0.7% of the fuel used by planes worldwide.
“We're not seeing enough supply on the market,” IATA Director General Willie Walsh told AFP.
“This is a criticism of the current and traditional fuel suppliers, who are not supplying sustainable fuels and are not making the necessary investment,” he added.
“This is frustrating and very worrying for us because I think it's in everyone's interest that we see this transition to net zero carbon emissions,” he said.
Countries are looking to low-carbon energy sources to curb the climate crisis caused by planet-warming emissions.
IATA has set a target of net zero emissions for the sector by 2050, relying heavily on sustainable fuels to achieve it.
Walsh called on governments to help increase the production of these fuels.
“I don't think (the target) is in danger at the moment,” he said, but added: ”If this trend continues beyond 2030, I would be concerned.”
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