Author: Contact ESG0

A Step Forward in Aviation Sustainability

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency and EUROCONTROL have taken a major step towards a unified way of calculating gate-to-gate CO2 emissions. This approach, grounded in actual flight data, aims to help the aviation sector track and reduce emissions with greater accuracy.

The collaboration builds on a robust data foundation, combining radar and aircraft performance insights with advanced modelling tools. Through this method, CO2 emissions are calculated from the moment an aircraft leaves the gate to the time it parks at its destination, offering a full picture of fuel efficiency across every flight phase.

The Role of Data in Accuracy

Using data from the EUROCONTROL Aviation Intelligence Unit and EASA’s Data4Safety platform, the validation process involved over 1.19 million flights. The results showed that the model’s estimates are impressively close to real-world fuel burn data, with an average variance of just 0.6 percent. Such precision makes this a reliable tool for both regulators and airlines to monitor progress toward carbon reduction goals.

Building a Shared Future

The joint methodology marks more than just a technical achievement—it sets the stage for consistent, data-driven environmental accountability in aviation. As future refinements are made, especially for specific flight phases, this model will strengthen the industry’s collective journey toward climate neutrality by 2050.

Conclusion

The EASA–EUROCONTROL initiative proves that collaboration and innovation can lead to meaningful environmental insights. By refining how emissions are measured, the aviation sector moves one step closer to a more sustainable future.

Download Document File Here: Gate-to-Gate CO2 Emissions — 2025

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Understanding the Small Emitters Tool

The European aviation landscape is steadily advancing toward more transparent and efficient emissions management. One such step forward is the Small Emitters Tool (SET), designed to help aircraft operators estimate fuel burn and related CO₂ emissions for flights covered under the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS).

This digital solution uses real operational data to create statistical models that estimate emissions for flights or entire fleets. While single-flight estimations may vary from real-time operations due to weather or route factors, the overall results across multiple flights offer an impressively accurate picture of total emissions.

Why the Tool Matters

For smaller operators, maintaining compliance with complex environmental reporting requirements can be challenging. The SET offers a simplified yet robust alternative for estimating fuel use and emissions, ensuring these operators meet EU monitoring and reporting obligations with confidence and clarity.

Beyond compliance, this tool builds a bridge between sustainability and practicality. By leveraging real flight data and statistical accuracy, it allows users to manage data gaps, maintain transparency, and stay aligned with carbon-reduction goals without overextending resources.

A Step Toward a More Informed Industry

The SET does more than calculate emissions—it helps create a data-driven culture in aviation sustainability. As tools like this evolve, they open new pathways for efficiency, accountability, and environmental responsibility across the sector.

Conclusion

Progress in aviation sustainability depends on accessibility and innovation. With smarter tools like the SET, the industry continues to move toward an ecosystem where compliance, accuracy, and climate action work seamlessly together.

Download Document File Here: Small emitters tool (SET) – 2025

Committee Stage and Its Importance

Members of the House of Lords have opened detailed examination of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill, a forward looking measure designed to unlock large scale production of cleaner fuel for aircraft across the United Kingdom. Two committee sessions are scheduled for December, enabling peers to review every clause and fine tune wording before the Bill moves to report stage. This line by line approach reflects the collaborative spirit that often turns promising ideas into robust legislation.

How the Mechanism Works

At the heart of the proposal sits a revenue certainty contract. A government owned counterparty will guarantee an agreed price for each litre of qualified sustainable aviation fuel, bridging any gap between market value and production cost. This promise reduces commercial risk for early movers and signals long term confidence in a market that can sometimes appear volatile.

The Bill also invites discussion on

· Voluntary targets for power to liquid fuels derived from renewable electricity

· Transparent reporting of domestic production volumes and feedstock sourcing

· Duties for travel providers to inform passengers about sustainable fuel use

A Non-Obvious Financial Upside

Because revenue certainty contracts resemble utilities style offtake agreements, the mechanism could attract low cost capital from pension and infrastructure funds that traditionally avoid aviation. Their participation would accelerate facility construction while keeping financing costs down, ultimately making tickets more affordable than many observers expect.

Broader Benefits

Scaling sustainable aviation fuel will cut lifecycle emissions by up to eighty percent compared with conventional kerosene, keep high value engineering jobs within the country, and create new markets

for waste based feedstocks. By providing clarity on both price and demand, the Bill positions the United Kingdom as a first mover in global green aviation.

Conclusion

The committee stage marks a critical step on the journey from concept to cleaner contrails. With cross party support and investor friendly design, the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill looks ready to lift off.

Source – Parliament UK

A national opportunity

Sustainable Aviation Fuel gives airlines a practical path to lower lifecycle emissions while preserving connectivity. The United Kingdom already hosts promising research centres and feedstock suppliers. What has been missing is a reliable domestic market signal large enough to unlock private capital. The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill aims to create that signal.

How committee stage works

During committee stage every clause is read aloud and members can suggest amendments. Because peers sit without constituency pressures they often look closely at technical wording. This slow method may appear ceremonial yet it routinely spots unintended loopholes before a bill returns to the Commons.

Revenue certainty in plain language

At the heart of the proposal is a government backed counterparty that will sign long term contracts with fuel producers. Instead of subsidising every litre up front the state promises to top up revenue only when the market price falls below an agreed floor. A less obvious benefit is cheaper borrowing. Banks price risk aggressively; guaranteed minimum cash flow can reduce interest rates enough to shave millions from project costs.

Wider effects on travellers

Members have flagged potential impacts on ticket prices. Early modelling shows that even full SAF compliance by 2030 would add roughly the cost of a coffee to a short haul fare. Meanwhile airlines gain resilience against future carbon pricing.

Staying informed

Citizens can stream every debate on Parliament TV and read verbatim transcripts the same day. Written briefings from the Lords Library explain each proposed change in clear language.

Conclusion

The committee process may move deliberately, yet it is steadily building a foundation for scalable, cleaner aviation. By coupling scrutiny with an elegant revenue backstop, the Bill positions the United Kingdom to capture jobs, innovation and climate gains from homegrown fuel.

Source – UK Parliament

Collective investment momentum

Eight member states have voluntarily joined the European eSAF Early Movers Coalition. Their shared objective is to mobilise at least five hundred million euros for the first wave of commercial plants producing synthetic aviation fuel made with renewable electricity and captured carbon. Pooling national contributions sends a clear signal to investors that demand for low carbon flight is real and growing.

How double-sided auctions work

The coalition will finance competitive double sided auctions beginning in 2026. Under this model a public intermediary signs two contracts. One agreement guarantees producers a minimum sale price over many years. The other guarantees airlines or fuel suppliers competitively priced volumes during the same period. If market prices fall below the producer contract the intermediary pays the gap; if prices rise above the buyer contract the intermediary receives the difference. This balanced design stabilises revenue and expenditure alike.

Hidden benefit of shared data

A detail that receives little attention is the data flow generated by auction bids. Each tender reveals real time cost curves for electrolysers, power purchase, carbon capture and logistics across Europe. When published in aggregate, this information will help policy makers fine tune further support and allow innovators to benchmark their progress without breaching commercial confidentiality.

Timetable and next steps

Key milestones include compiling state aid approvals in 2025, launching the first auction in early 2026, signing contracts before year end and commencing plant construction soon after. The coalition remains open to additional countries, giving others a simple pathway to join and leverage the structure already built.

Conclusion

By combining capital, certainty and transparent learning, the Early Movers Coalition is turning ambitious European climate targets into practical engineering projects. The approach accelerates technology maturity while keeping value creation inside the single market, positioning European firms to lead global sustainable aviation efforts.

Source – GreenAir