• European Commission funds ICAO-led program to help 12 partner states develop sustainable aviation fuels (SAF)
• Support includes feasibility studies, certification assistance, and scaling SAF production
• Initiative aligns with EU’s Green Deal and ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation to cut aviation emissions

The European Commission has committed €4 million ($4.3 million) to support the development of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) through the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Capacity-building and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuels programme (ACT-SAF).

The initiative, implemented with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), will initially involve 12 countries: Cameroon, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, India, Kenya, Mauritania, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, and South Africa. Additional states may join at a later stage.

European Commissioner for Transport Adina Vălean emphasized the economic and environmental upside: “We estimate that the SAF market will create more than 200,000 additional jobs in the EU, and expect similar benefits for partner countries ramping up their production of sustainable aviation fuels. The EU will continue supporting its partners in their decarbonisation efforts. No country must be left behind as we take global aviation into a new era.”

The funding will go toward feasibility studies, technical support, and certification of SAF, helping partner countries build production and distribution capacity.

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ICAO Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar underlined the global dimension: “This new project responds to the global consensus that we need to take concrete actions now to achieve truly sustainable international air connectivity. Access to cleaner energy sources will be a pre-requisite to achieve this long-term global goal, and all States have a part to play in realizing that access through new production and distribution capabilities.”

The program, formally titled “Capacity Building for Sustainable Aviation Fuels eligible under CORSIA and in support of achieving net zero emissions by 2050,” marks another step in global aviation’s path toward decarbonization. Within Europe, the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation continues to drive adoption by mandating a phased ramp-up of SAF usage across the bloc.

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