Europe Must Not Let Airlines Sabotage Clean Aviation Fuels - CleanTechnica

The article from CleanTechnica highlights concerns over European airlines, notably Lufthansa and the Airlines for Europe (A4E) lobby group, attempting to delay or weaken the 2030 target for synthetic aviation fuels (e-SAFs) derived from green hydrogen. Airlines argue that financial and market challenges justify postponing the 1.2% e-SAF mandate, but this risks undermining Europe’s emerging clean aviation fuel industry at a critical time. The article warns that delaying these targets would shift demand toward biofuels, which Europe cannot sustainably supply in sufficient quantities, or worse, increase reliance on fossil kerosene imports. This would raise emissions, weaken Europe’s energy sovereignty, and jeopardize climate goals. The piece underscores that the SAF mandate is already proving effective, citing the UK’s SAF usage exceeding targets and significant SAF production capacity under construction in Europe. It also notes that while startups are driving e-SAF development, major fuel suppliers and oil companies have yet to meaningfully invest in this