Adequate SAF supply will help airlines meet emission targets faster: Al-Baker

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive HE Akbar al-Baker has said “refining companies should provide adequate sustainable aviation fuel so that the airline industry could buy SAF and meet the emission targets even faster.”“Right now adequate quantities of SAF are not available. At Qatar Airways, we have contacted many refining companies, but they are unable to provide us the quantities of alternate fuel that we want,” al-Baker said at a media event on the sidelines of the 54th Annual General Meeting of Arab Air Carriers Organisation (AACO) at the Sheraton Grand Doha yesterday.Al-Baker said the aviation industry has been “unjustly targeted” as being “responsible” for majority of the emissions.“That is not the case. The fact remains that we in the aviation industry have done a very poor job in trying to explain our position…emissions from aviation is just over 2.5% of the total emissions that have been happening.“We in the aviation industry are doing our part in investing in technologies that reduce emissions from our engines….but at the same time we are putting pressure on refining companies to provide us alternate fuel or SAF.”Al-Baker, who presided over the AACO AGM, said it has taken an “unanimous” decision to stick to ‘2050 net zero emissions target’.“That, however, does not mean we as an airline are not going to do our own initiatives to shrink our emissions footprint,” al-Baker noted.In its 2020-21 annual report, Qatar Airways said it continued to offer passengers a sustainable solution for their travel by operating one of the youngest fleets of modern fuel-efficient aircraft, including both the Airbus A350 and the Boeing 787.The airline also launched a voluntary carbon offsetting programme in partnership with IATA, with credits from the programme being invested in developing renewable energy projects.In September 2020, Qatar Airways committed with its oneworld alliance partners to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, becoming the first global alliance to unite behind a common target to achieve carbon neutrality.“Reducing emissions is modern aviation’s greatest challenge, and the alliance’s commitment to ‘net zero’ during this uncertain time demonstrates the importance we all place on this duty.“We also remained compliant with international requirements and have been working in collaboration with the industry in leading global efforts to tackle climate change. Our comprehensive strategy for environmental sustainability is firmly embedded across the group in our daily operations and decision-making processes. This includes our continuous efforts to protect the planet for our future generations, with a focus on climate change, waste management, energy optimisation, efficient water use and biodiversity, as well as preventing illegal wildlife transportation,” Qatar Airways said.