The aviation sector stands at a critical crossroad in its journey to a net-zero future. While it enables global connectivity and economic growth, it’s significantly off track for decarbonisation – potentially set to consume a quarter of the entire 1.5°C carbon budget by 2050. The challenge isn’t just environmental; it’s a matter of equity and justice. As alternative aviation fuels emerge, we have a unique opportunity to ensure this transition delivers real climate benefits while prioritising justice, equity, and environmental stewardship.
We’ve partnered with The Sasha Coalition and Opportunity Green to explore the key challenges associated with this transition to alternative aviation fuels and charts a course for what could be a truly sustainable aviation future.
Partners we worked with on this resource:
Why this matters now
As the industry rapidly shifts towards alternative fuels, this transition brings about complex challenges:
- Environmental Impact: From land use changes to biodiversity loss
- Social Equity: Ensuring fair distribution of benefits and burdens
- Worker Rights: Supporting 11 million global employees through the transition
- Resource Management: Balancing competing demands for critical resources
Mapping the challenges
Ensuring climate action respects labour rights, prevents inequalities, and benefits marginalised groups.
Mitigating risks of habitat loss, resource strain, and land use change from emerging fuel production.
Addressing the uneven distribution of aviation’s benefits and burdens, from local to global scales.
Charting the flight path: Key recommendations for stakeholders
Navigating this complex landscape will require bold action and collaboration from several stakeholders. The briefing linked below provides specific recommendations tailored to the roles of investors, airlines, policymakers, and fuel producers to guide their efforts and help ensure this transition is good for both people and the planet.
For investors
- Integrate just transition principles into investment criteria and engagement strategies
- Mobilise capital towards the highest integrity fuels and supply chains, with robust sustainability screening
- Advocate for policies and regulations that prioritise both emissions reductions and social equity
For airlines
- Commit to ambitious, time-bound targets for sustainable fuel adoption and transparent reporting
- Proactively engage workers and communities in transition planning, with a focus on skills development and inclusive job creation
- Collaborate across the value chain to scale up sustainable fuel production and infrastructure
For policymakers
- Embed justice, equity, and sustainability criteria into aviation decarbonisation mandates and incentives
- Ensure inclusive governance and stakeholder participation in policy design and implementation
- Invest in research, development, and deployment of next-generation fuels and technologies
Collaborating towards cleaner skies
Ultimately, realising a just and sustainable aviation fuel transition will require unprecedented collaboration and shared vision. By working together to prioritise justice, equity, and environmental integrity, we can ensure that aviation’s climate action lifts up communities, protects ecosystems, and builds a more resilient future for all.
Your guide to a just and equitable aviation transition
Ready to help shape a more equitable and environmentally sound aviation future? Explore the challenges the industry faces and key recommendations to airlines, investors and policymakers in this insightful briefing.
