The world’s top B2B travel platform, American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT), and Shell Aviation announced that Google has joined their sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) initiative. In addition to advancing global climate solutions, Google’s partnership with Amex GBT and Shell Aviation adds on its objective to achieve net zero throughout all of its operations and value chain by 2030.
“The use of SAF will play a critical role in helping the aviation sector on its path to decarbonize,” said Michael Terrell, Senior Director of Climate and Energy at Google. Google’s ongoing efforts to hasten the world’s transition to a carbon-free future are further demonstrated by its participation in Amex GBT’s sustainable aviation fuel initiative.
The SAF initiative from Amex GBT and Shell Aviation shows how the private sector can finance the transition to net zero in aviation by bringing together large businesses like Google, Aon, Bank of America, Delta, Cathay Pacific, JetBlue, and Japan Airlines. In order to scale the developing SAF market, the program is also gathering demonstrable demand. The program began in 2022 with 1 million gallons of SAF available for business users, which would have powered nearly 15,000 London-to-New York business trips.
According to Andrew Crawley, President of American Express Global Business Travel, “Business travel makes up about 15% of all international air travel and accounts for around 40% of revenue. The fact that Google has joined our expanding SAF program shows how business cooperation may hasten aviation’s transition to net zero and facilitate more environmentally friendly travel.
Sustainable business travel requires addressing a pervasive issue: aviation’s reliance on fossil fuels, which accounts for about 90% of emissions from business travel. When compared to conventional fossil-based fuels, SAF can cut lifecycle carbon emissions by as much as 80%. The aviation sector currently views it as the most promising route for decarbonizing air transport. However, SAF is two to eight times more expensive than typical fossil-based jet fuel and accounts for less than 0.1% of the available aviation fuel. SAF demand and production are hence constrained.
To help with the resolution of these problems, Amex GBT and Shell Aviation are bringing together corporations and airlines. The cost of SAF can be shared and its utilization scaled by utilizing the airline clients of Shell Aviation and the purchasing power of Amex GBT’s 19,000+ corporate clients across 140 countries. The burgeoning SAF sector will benefit from capital investment in the extra manufacturing facilities and technology required to achieve economies of scale.
“It’s great that Shell Aviation will provide SAF through the Avelia program to support Google in reducing emissions from its corporate flying,” said Jan Toschka, president of Shell Aviation. Given Google’s stature and popularity, this news marks a significant turning point in the decarbonization of aircraft. We’re excited to partner with such a powerful and forward-thinking organization since increasing the uptake of SAF will only be achievable if all components of the aviation value chain work together.
One of the first blockchain-powered digital SAF book-and-claim solutions for corporate travel, Avelia, powers the program. In order to ensure explicit and transparent tracking of the environmental characteristics of SAF delivered into the aircraft fuelling network, Avelia leverages blockchain technology. Airline customers and business clients can both receive environmental benefits without running into problems like duplicate counting. So, while working to develop enough SAF to satisfy their future net zero or science-based commitments, corporations may confidently declare proven lifecycle emissions reductions from SAF now.
Source- Travel daily