As industries and governments take increasing steps to address the threat of climate change, much focus is being placed on the transition that hard-toabate sectors such as aviation will need to make to fit in with wider climate goals. Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) offer a promising solution for allowing the industry to reach net-zero CO2 emissions by the middle of this century. Yet, concerns remain regarding whether SAFs can ever be sufficiently scaled to enable the full decarbonization of aviation while also being economically viable and environmentally sustainable. For this reason, voices within and outside the industry are urging the need to explore more radical solutions.

At present, there is uncertainty about the role these new technologies will play in the sector’s overall climate plans. Produced in conjunction with the University of Cambridge’s Aviation Impact Accelerator, this report marks the first step of the World Economic Forum’s Target True Zero coalition, answering some of the questions that must be addressed if industry and governments are to make informed decisions about alternative propulsion in the future.