PRESS RELEASE : UK-US partnership set to soar with sustainable aviation summit and collaborative approach [May 2023]

The press release issued by the Department for Transport on 15 May 2023.

UK and US to work together to reduce aviation emissions and accelerate development of sustainable aviation fuel.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper is set to meet his counterparts from the USA, 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 Secretary of Transportation, 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 Mark Harper 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 USA, 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 5 projects already chosen to receive funding.

With both the USA and UK leading the way as global advocates for SAF, the UK Transport Secretary and US Secretary of 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 jobs and a £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.