The Director General of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Willie Walsh, emphasized the need to reassess the European Union’s ambitious climate targets for aviation, due to insufficient production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).
Speaking to journalists in Singapore on Wednesday, the head of the global aviation industry body clearly stated that the EU’s targets for mandatory SAF use are “impossible to achieve” under current conditions.
“I’ve been critical of the EU’s targets because I don’t believe they are achievable,” Walsh said. “I struggle to see how there will be sufficient availability of sustainable fuels to meet near-term goals.”
Ambitious Targets, Limited Production
The European Union has introduced a series of mandatory quotas for SAF use by airlines: 2% this year, 6% by 2030, and 70% by 2050. However, the industry argues that production of such fuels remains limited, and their cost is still high.
A study by Airlines for Europe — an organization representing 17 European carriers — estimates that SAF production in 2030 will fall 30% short of the levels needed to meet the EU’s targets.
Walsh stressed that EU policy is based more on expectations than actual production data.
“What the EU should have done is assess current and future production capabilities first, and then set targets. Setting goals without the required fuel production makes no sense,” he said.
Practical Barriers and Paradoxes
Highlighting the problematic situation further, Walsh revealed that some European airlines are purchasing SAF outside the EU to comply with EU regulations.
“That also makes no sense, especially when you consider the environmental footprint of transporting the fuel,” he noted.
The aviation industry accounts for about 3% of global carbon emissions and is considered one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize. SAF — a biofuel produced from plant or animal waste such as used cooking oil — is seen as a key “weapon” in achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Long-Term Goal Remains
Despite the strong criticism of EU policy, Walsh made it clear that the industry remains committed to the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. He said that this target remains achievable — as long as policies are based on realistic data and the SAF supply chain is meaningfully strengthened.
According to Walsh, IATA has expressed concerns from the beginning about setting short-term targets, given the uncertainty around SAF production.
“Policy should be based on facts, not wishful thinking,” he remarked.
The Need for a More Realistic Strategy
The issue of sustainable fuels and the EU’s goals highlights the challenges Europe faces in greening its aviation sector. On one hand, there is political pressure to cut emissions and meet the European Green Deal targets; on the other, a market that has yet to develop the infrastructure and production capacity to scale up SAF use.
Walsh’s criticism echoes a growing concern within the sector: How can ambitious environmental goals be met when the key tool — sustainable fuels — remains so limited?
