Differences in life‑cycle GHG emissions of SAF pathways

The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) explains differences in life-cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) pathways and warns that commonly-cited emission reductions reflect waste-based SAFs rather than crop-based fuels.

• Main announcement/action: ICCT highlights that waste-derived SAFs (used cooking oil, tallow, distillers corn oil) can deliver up to 80% GHG reductions relative to fossil jet fuel, but these feedstocks are limited in supply; current dominant production uses HEFA and a small share uses ATJ, while advanced pathways (e‑kerosene/e‑fuels, cellulosic SAF) are under development.
• Background and details: The blog (authored by Andy Navarrete, published October 6, 2025) explains life‑cycle accounting distinctions — carbon intensity, treatment of combustion CO2 as zero, and indirect land‑use change (ILUC) — and notes that EU and UK SAF mandates exclude certain crop‑based fuels; ICCT calls for transparency from producers and rigorous life‑cycle accounting to ensure genuine decarbonization.