The UK’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate comes into effect today, marking a significant step toward reducing carbon emissions in air travel. From January 1, 2025, at least 2% of all jet fuel used by flights departing from the UK must be made from SAF, with this percentage set to rise annually to 10% by 2030 and 22% by 2040, according to the press release.
SAF, produced from sustainable sources such as household waste and used cooking oil, generates approximately 70% fewer carbon emissions than traditional jet fuel. The mandate is expected to reduce the aviation industry’s environmental impact and drive the UK towards becoming a leader in decarbonised air travel.
The new policy aims to supply around 1.2 million tonnes of SAF to the UK airline industry by 2030, enough to power flights around the globe 3,000 times each year. As one of the first countries to introduce such legislation, the UK is positioning itself at the forefront of the global push for greener aviation, supporting economic growth, job creation, and a cleaner energy future.
Mike Kane, UK Minister for Aviation, said, “Today marks a key milestone in making aviation a greener, more sustainable way to travel. This mandate will not only help reduce emissions but will also create thousands of new jobs in the growing SAF sector.”
Tim Alderslade, CEO of Airlines UK, emphasized that the SAF Mandate is a critical tool for achieving net-zero aviation emissions. “Our priority is ensuring UK airlines have access to growing SAF volumes at competitive prices, as global demand surges,” he noted.
Karen Dee, CEO of AirportsUK, welcomed the mandate as an essential step in aviation’s transition to cleaner fuels, stating that the industry had long advocated for policies like this to accelerate SAF production in the UK.
Duncan McCourt, CEO of Sustainable Aviation, highlighted that SAF is key to achieving the aviation sector’s goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. He stressed the importance of a well-designed revenue certainty mechanism to boost domestic SAF production and ensure compliance with the mandate.
With the new SAF Mandate, the UK takes a bold step towards decarbonising air travel, creating a blueprint for other nations to follow.
