Sustainable Aviation Fuel Accounting in the Australian Context

Perspective of Boeing and Virgin Australia

Background and why it matters:

The global aviation industry has committed to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2050.  While a variety of abatement measures will be required to realise this objective, it is widely accepted that Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is critical to accelerating the decarbonisation of the aviation sector.  As the adoption of SAF expands from boutique application to large volume global use, It is necessary that a robust SAF accounting framework, based on trusted chain of custody approaches, is implemented to support the scaling up of SAF production and utilisation.  Such a framework would allow access to the environmental benefits of SAF even while local production industries are being established in Australia. 

This working paper explores the opportunities and challenges associated with implementing SAF accounting frameworks in the Australian context.