LLE: Sustainable Aviation Fuels Take Flight: Pathways to Production and Global Adoption under CORSIA

Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) are being developed globally, supported by the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), a program developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The CORSIA standards become mandatory for virtually all UN Member States in 2027, and aim to achieve carbon-neutral growth in international aviation emissions by 2050 relative to 2019. CORSIA is the first global market-based measure for a specific sector, and complements operational, technological, and fuel efficiency improvements adopted by aircraft manufacturers and domestic airport and transportation authorities. 

CORSIA incorporates standardized methodologies for assessing GHG emissions reductions via lie cycle assessment (LCA) of SAF pathways, including induced land use change (ILUC). These LCA methods are published for use by fuel producers and airlines (so-called obligated parties and economic operators), and include thresholds for minimum GHG reductions. They are complemented by additional sustainability criteria to protect against deforestation and other environmental impacts.  

Since CORSIA was adopted on January 1, 2016, production of SAF has increased from about 1 million liters annually prior to 2016, to about 2.4 billion liters in 2025. Production capacity is expected to reach 22 billion liters by 2030, and demand is expected to reach 50 billion liters by 2035. The rapid growth in production and adoption is supported by domestic policies to incentivize SAF production and scale up nascent technologies. These technologies include gasification-FT technologies, alcohol-to-jet (ATJ), and hydrotreated esters and fatty acids (HEFA), E-fuels, and co-processing of renewable fats and oils in conventional refineries.   

In this presentation, I will describe the various SAF pathways and their technoeconomic and emissions attributes.   I will also describe the role of CORSIA and domestic policies supporting the production and deployment of SAF, including global cooperation on standards and strategies to reduce aviation emissions, and the development of “default” GHG emissions values for SAF pathways.  

Speaker Biography:

Brad Saville is a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry at the University of Toronto, joining the Department in 1989 after his PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Alberta.

Brad stands at the leading edge of innovation in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), a transformative field reshaping the future of global air transport. Through his work, Brad bridges rigorous academic research with real-world industry application, advancing practical and financially viable technologies and pathways to decarbonize aviation. Brad’s research has equipped policymakers and industry leaders with the insights needed to navigate one of aviation’s most urgent challenges: achieving net-zero emissions.

Beyond academia, Professor Saville’s impact extends to the international stage through his contributions to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) under the United Nations. Over the past decade, he has helped inform global frameworks and standards that guide the development of sustainable aviation fuels worldwide. His involvement with ICAO reflects not only subject-matter expertise, but also a commitment to multilateral collaboration and evidence-based policy development at the highest levels.

Professor Saville’s work exemplifies the integration of scholarship, policy leadership, and technological innovation, inspiring the next generation of engineers and aviation professionals to think boldly, act responsibly, and lead the transformation toward a more sustainable global aviation system.