Air transport generates approximately 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions, nearly 1 billion tons annually. To meet this challenge, the aviation industry has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050, a goal that requires multiple strategies. Among them, the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) could contribute up to 65% of the sector's total emissions reductions.
SAFs, produced from renewable feedstocks such as agricultural residues, used oils, biomass, or even captured CO₂, can partially or fully replace conventional kerosene without requiring modifications to engines or airport infrastructure. However, in 2023, global SAF production barely exceeded 1.3 million metric tons (94% using HEFA technology), compared to a projected annual requirement of more than 400 billion liters by 2050. This gap illustrates both the challenge and the opportunity of scaling up their production.
Latin America and the Caribbean have comparative advantages: abundant biomass and agro-industrial waste, biofuel expertise, and favorable agroecological conditions. How can the region translate these strengths into leadership in the development of SAF? What actions are needed to overcome the regulatory, financing, and access challenges of emerging technologies such as Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ), Fischer-Tropsch (FT), or Power-to-Liquid (PtL)? What role can the region play in the global decarbonization of aviation?
