The RefuelEU Aviation Initiative seeks to boost the supply and demand for sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) by imposing mandates on fuel suppliers to include SAF in aviation fuel supplied at EU airports, to all international flights. The proposal will also review incrementally increasing sub-mandates of synthetic fuels, such as e-kerosene, to be blended with kerosene jet fuel. The policy will also consider the sustainability criteria for feedstock classification as SAF. The initiative was proposed in February 2020 by the EU Commission, and a public consultation was launched to gather stakeholder views in March 2020.
The EU Commission's ambitious proposal included a sub-target for e-kerosene and an increasing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blending mandate, and, despite intense opposition from the aviation industry, it covers all flights departing the EU. The provisional agreement from the three EU bodies proposed targets compromising those suggested by the Commission and Parliament, while adopting the Council’s proposed 6% target for 2030.
Renewable Energy
Provisional agreement adopted by EU Parliament, Council and Commission.
Renewable Energy
Provisional agreement adopted by EU Parliament, Council and Commission.
Lufthansa have signed a joint letter coordinated by Transport & Enviornment urging the EU to adopt e-kerosene mandates of 0.5%-1% for 2027 and 2.5% for 2030. This suggests an evolving, more positive position for Lufthansa, who in 2021 previously emphasized competitiveness concerns in private emails with EU policymakers around a sustainable aviation fuels mandate.
In feedback to the EU Commission in November 2021, the Federation of German Industry adopted a mixed position on the ReFuelEU proposal, supporting a higher SAF mandate target by 2030 but advocating to limit scope of blending mandate in ReFuelEU proposal to intra-EU flights.
easyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air signed a joint letter advocating for the EU’s aviation climate policies to apply to all flights departing from European airports, not just intra-EU flights, and opposing new EU mechanisms to address carbon leakage. This includes expanding the scope of the EU ETS for aviation to include all international flights, and supporting the inclusion of all departing international flights in the EU’s sustainable aviation fuels mandate.
According to a June 9th media report, Airlines for Europe opposed a more ambitious Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs) blending target of 6% by 2030, as proposed in the EU Council’s general approach, preferring the earlier mandate of 5%. Lufthansa appeared to stress competitiveness, carbon leakage and cost concerns with the Council’s position. In contrast, International Airlines Group welcomed the more ambitious target.
In feedback to the EU Commission in November 2021, Confindustria appeared not to support an ambitious sustainable aviation fuel mandate within the RefuelEU Aviation proposal, supporting numerous exemptions.
In a February newsletter, BusinessEurope suggested that mobility policies in the Fit for 55 package should take into account the costs for industry and impacts on competitiveness. The association supported the emission intensity standards but advocated for alternative production pathways for fuels in the FuelEU Maritime legislation, and suggested that there could be international retaliation.
BusinessEurope was supportive of slightly higher blending obligations in the short and medium term in the ReFuelEU Aviation legislation, but supported flexibilities for companies. The association advocated for increased ambition of the roll-out of charging and refuelling infrastructure in the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation.
In a 27th June policy brief, Lufthansa appeared unsupportive of an extension of the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS) to flights departing the EEA and the inclusion of non-CO2 impacts, as proposed by EU Parliament. It further appeared to emphasize cost, competition and carbon leakage concerns with the EU sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) mandate and advocated for a “competition-neutral” design, without specifying any specific amendments.
The table below lists the entities found to be most engaged with the policy. The entities are ranked by performance band. InfluenceMap tracks over 500 companies and 250 industry associations globally. Each entity name links to its full InfluenceMap profile, where the evidence of its engagement can be found.
| Influencemap Performance Band | Organization | Engagement Intensity | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| D | Lufthansa | 38 | Transportation | Europe |
| D | International Airlines Group (IAG) | 40 | Transportation | Europe |
| D | Ryanair | 45 | Transportation | Europe |
| C+ | easyJet | 41 | Transportation | Europe |
| D | Air France-KLM | 49 | Transportation | Europe |
| C- | Shell | 66 | Energy | Europe |
| C- | TotalEnergies | 55 | Energy | Europe |
| C- | Airbus Group | 45 | Industrials | Europe |
| C+ | Deutsche Post DHL Group | 41 | Transportation | Europe |
| C | Rolls-Royce | 29 | Industrials | Europe |
| C | BP | 64 | Energy | Europe |
| B | Iberdrola | 62 | Utilities | Europe |
| D | Repsol | 41 | Energy | Europe |
| C- | Air Liquide | 39 | Chemicals | Europe |
| C | Siemens Energy | 45 | Energy | Europe |
| B+ | Ørsted | 49 | Energy | Europe |
| C+ | Engie | 59 | Utilities | Europe |
| B | EDF | 62 | Utilities | Europe |
| C- | Eni | 42 | Energy | Europe |
