Sustainability and Environment
Sustainable Aviation Fuels: The Numbers Just Don't Add Up
A weighty scientific report raises doubts about net-zero alternatives to jet fuel.
sustainable aviation fuel
World Energy manufactures sustainable aviation fuel, which requires a significant input of feedstocks to manufacture the low-emissions product. (Photo: World Energy)

Britain’s most learned scientific body has injected a strong dose of realism into the debate over low-carbon jet fuels. In an 80-page report published in March, the Royal Society boldly stated that, right now, “there is no clear net-zero alternative to jet fuel.”

The report has not been well-received by the airlines or manufacturers. But Guy Gratton, associate professor of aviation and the environment at Cranfield University, makes no apologies. “It’s no good burying our heads in the sand,” he said. “For instance, only 0.02 percent of aviation demand can currently be met by biofuels.”