ANA Urges Unified Asia-Pacific Stance on Sustainable Aviation Fuel at Routes Asia 2024

During Routes Asia 2024, All Nippon Airways’ (ANA) sustainability leader emphasized the critical need for a consolidated voice from the Asia-Pacific region on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production and utilization. Highlighting the organized efforts by African and European nations at ICAO meetings, ANA’s Director of Decarbonization and Corporate Planning, Hiroaki Sugimori, pointed out the absence of a unified stance from Asia-Pacific nations on SAF, particularly regarding the contentious use of palm oil as a feedstock.

The European Union’s skepticism towards palm oil use, citing deforestation concerns, contrasts with its acceptance of cooking oil derived from palm oil for SAF production. Sugimori advocated for increased transparency from palm oil producers, especially in Malaysia and Indonesia, to provide a comprehensive overview of palm oil production’s life cycle.

Additionally, Sugimori addressed the potential challenges posed by SAF mandates and levies, which could impede the development and scaling of future technologies. He underscored the necessity of policies that support a variety of SAF production technologies, including hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA), Fischer-Tropsch, and alcohol-to-jet, to ensure a holistic approach to the aviation sector’s decarbonization.

Singapore’s recent announcement of implementing a SAF levy for passengers and setting a 1% SAF uptake target for all departing flights by 2026 was also highlighted. This move underscores the region’s gradual steps towards embracing SAF, yet ANA’s call to action emphasizes the importance of a collective approach in Asia-Pacific to effectively advocate for and implement SAF solutions, thereby fostering a sustainable future for aviation.