The EU ETS review must turn aviation ambition into deployment

The Clean Air Task Force asserts that the EU ETS review is critical for bridging the cost gap between conventional jet fuel and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). While ReFuelEU Aviation established demand, the author notes that no large-scale e-SAF project in the EU had reached a final investment decision as of mid-2026. The document recommends extending the SAF allowance mechanism beyond 2030, mandating the reinvestment of ETS aviation revenues into sector decarbonisation, and carefully integrating high-quality carbon removals into the long-term strategy.

• Biofuels are insufficient for long-term aviation decarbonisation due to finite feedstock supplies and high import reliance; EASA reports that approximately 69% of feedstocks for EU SAF production are imported. Clean Air Task Force modelling suggests biofuels will likely cover no more than 46% of aviation's energy demand by 2050.
• Synthetic aviation fuels (e-SAF) are essential for meeting climate goals, potentially requiring 25.4 Mt of synthetic fuel and 18 Mt of low-carbon hydrogen feedstock by 2050. However, as of mid-2026, no large-scale e-SAF project in the EU has reached a final investment decision.
• The current carbon price of approximately €80 per tonne is insufficient to bridge the cost gap between conventional jet fuel (€640 per tonne) and synthetic fuels (€7,520 per tonne). The author argues that the SAF allowance mechanism, which currently offsets up to 95% of the price gap for synthetic fuels, must be extended beyond its 2030 expiration date to ensure investment certainty.
• The EU ETS review should mandate that a defined share of revenues generated from aviation be reinvested into the sector's transition, specifically for SAF and e-SAF projects, infrastructure, and non-CO₂ impacts, as Member States currently have no such requirement.

APA

Maroto, L. M. (2026). The EU ETS review must turn aviation ambition into deployment. Clean Air Task Force. https://www.catf.us/2026/06/the-eu-ets-review-must-turn-aviation-ambition-into-deployment/

Chicago

Maroto, Lucía M. The EU ETS review must turn aviation ambition into deployment. Clean Air Task Force, 2026. https://www.catf.us/2026/06/the-eu-ets-review-must-turn-aviation-ambition-into-deployment/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Maroto |first1=Lucía M. |title=The EU ETS review must turn aviation ambition into deployment |publisher=Clean Air Task Force |date=29 June 2026 |url=https://www.catf.us/2026/06/the-eu-ets-review-must-turn-aviation-ambition-into-deployment/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{maroto2026ets, author = {Maroto, Lucía M.}, title = {{The EU ETS review must turn aviation ambition into deployment}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2026}, month = jun, url = {https://www.catf.us/2026/06/the-eu-ets-review-must-turn-aviation-ambition-into-deployment/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }