Transport Secretary is set to meet his counterparts
from the US, Canada and Singapore today (Monday 15 May) as they
work to decarbonise flight and usher in a new era of sustainable
travel.
Meeting with US Transport Secretary Pete Buttigieg on a visit to
the USA, the pair will discuss how to work together on reducing
aviation emissions and share knowledge to accelerate the
development of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) - tackling climate
change and harnessing the potential of the SAF industry to grow
the economy.
UK Transport Secretary said:
“While an ocean separates us, we’ve never been more aligned with
the USA on the future of aviation and what that entails - whether
it’s boosting jobs, opening new trade opportunities or delivering
guilt-free air travel.
“This trip is a crucial part of our work to reduce emissions from
aviation alongside the US, Canada and Singapore, and I look
forward to meeting my counterparts and industry representatives.”
During his visit, the UK Transport Secretary will co-chair the
SAF Investor Summit in Detroit with his US and Canadian
counterparts.
Representatives from major companies like Boeing, the
International Air Transport Association (IATA), JP Morgan Chase,
United Airlines, World Energy and the American Petroleum
Institute will also be in attendance, underlining the importance
of unlocking private investment to help grow the sustainable
aviation sector, create more UK jobs and grow the economy.
The summit will act as a springboard for discussions on how to
overcome future barriers the international sector may face, such
as the widespread sourcing of materials to produce
next-generation fuels, as well as the investment needed to help
deliver that vision.
With airlines spending billions on fuel every year, ensuring SAF
is at the forefront of future investment decisions is key to
piloting the sector to a cleaner future. The summit is an
opportunity for the UK to work with other governments and
industry leaders to progress the UK’s commitment to at least 10%
of jet fuel being from sustainable sources by 2030.
The UK Government’s Jet Zero Strategy sets out how to achieve net
zero emissions from UK aviation by 2050, importantly without
directly limiting demand for aviation. The £165 million Advanced
Fuel Fund is also kickstarting production, with five projects
already chosen to receive funding.
With both the US and UK leading the way as global advocates for
SAF, the UK Transport Secretary and US Secretary for
Transportation will look to work even more closely – an
opportunity for the two nations to share their experience and
work towards growing the SAF industry in both countries.
Working together, both governments will examine how to get SAF
plants working at scale and promote the fuel as a solution to
tackling climate change and creating jobs and skills for future
generations. With independent forecasts suggesting that there is
the potential to create as many as 60,000 and £10 billion boost
to the economy* a new collaborative approach will best unlock
this.
At the end of last year the UK Government announced that Virgin
Atlantic has won the race to make the first net zero
transatlantic flight next year – powered by SAF. This year one of
Virgin Atlantic’s flagship Boeing 787s, powered by Rolls-Royce
Trent 1000 engines, will take off from London Heathrow and make
the journey to New York’s John F Kennedy Airport – a journey made
by thousands of people for business, family, and leisure every
week.
Made from waste materials or by-products such as household waste,
industrial gases or used cooking oil, SAF can achieve greenhouse
gas emissions savings of more than 70% compared to conventional
fossil jet fuel.
ENDS
Contact Information
Craig Cunningham
craig.cunningham@dft.gov.uk
Notes to editors
The UK is a key exporter to the state’s economy and integral to
the development of autonomous vehicles, and the visit will be a
chance to explore opportunities to create jobs and boost trade
here in the UK.
List of companies attending the SAF Investment summit:
- Advanced Biofuels Association
- Aerospace Industry Association of Canada
- Air Canada
- Air Transat
- Air Transport Action Group
- Airlines for America
- Airlines UK
- Alaska Airlines
- American Airlines
- Blackrock
- Boeing
- Canadian Council for Sustainable Aviation fuels (C-SAF)
- Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES)
- Citi
- Delta Airlines
- DHL
- General Electric Aerospace
- Hawaiian Airlines
- JP Morgan Chase
- Lowercarbon Capital
- Moody's Investors Service
- National Airlines Council of Canada
- NEXA Capital Partners
- Rocky Mountain Institute
- United Airlines
- UPS
*Figures can be found in the Government Response to Developing a
UK Sustainable Aviation Fuel Industry Report - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1150483/government-response-to-developing-a-uk-sustainable-aviation-fuel-industry-report.pdf
