Aviation

Policy has a vital role in helping to decarbonise the aviation sector. We believe that an increase in the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) will be the most significant way to decarbonise the sector by 2050. Consistent, robust and long-term policy frameworks are needed to stimulate demand for SAF and incentivise its production and supply.

At an international level, we support the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. In 2023, we called on the ICAO and its member states to adopt a global SAF goal for 2030. ICAO member states have signed up to a collective global aspirational vision to reduce carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in international aviation by 5% by 2030 through the use of SAF and lower-carbon aviation fuels.[1]

The EU adopted its ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation in 2023, which we supported. We advocated a more ambitious 2030 SAF blending mandate compared to the original proposal by the European Commission. We also supported the inclusion of a wider range of sustainable feedstocks that meet the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) sustainability requirements. Alongside companies in the aviation and renewable fuels sectors, Shell advocated the addition of crops grown on severely degraded land and intermediate crops used in aviation to the EU’s advanced biofuel feedstock list (Annex IX to the RED).[2] We also welcomed the introduction of targets for synthetic fuels as a key signal to help drive investments.

In the UK, we responded to the government consultation on a pathway to net zero in aviation.[3] We believe a comprehensive policy framework is required to support the UK’s development and deployment of SAF, including incentives alongside mandates, to encourage investment and stimulate demand.

In the USA, we supported the implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act’s SAF tax credit.

In Singapore, we advocated policies to create a viable, long-term secure SAF supply ecosystem. Shell was a member of the international advisory panel for the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore’s Sustainable Air Hub Blueprint, which was published in February 2024.[4] The blueprint states an aim for SAF to make up 1% of all fuel used on flights departing from Singapore from 2026, rising to 3-5% by 2030.

In the UAE, Shell advocated policies to stimulate SAF supply and demand. Shell was a member of the committee that developed the UAE’s National Sustainable Aviation Fuel Roadmap.[5] In January 2024, the government announced a General Policy for Sustainable Aviation Fuel which includes a voluntary target that aims to use locally produced SAF to supply 1% of all fuel used by national airlines departing from UAE airports by 2031.[6]

We provide more detail about our advocacy on some of these topics on our website.[7]