Netherlands' climate targets at risk as EU blocks sustainable aviation fuels ambitions

The Dutch government can’t oblige the aviation sector to use 14 percent sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) by 2030, the European Commission determined. It is too far beyond the European Union’s standard of 6 percent SAF by that date. The setback puts the Netherlands’ climate targets at risk, Stefan Grebe of CE Delft told the Volkskrant.

SAF is considered the easiest way to make the aviation sector more sustainable quickly, as innovations with electric planes or aircraft that fly on hydrogen are still far from practically feasible. In 2019, the Dutch government, therefore, agreed with the aviation sector that its fuel consumption would consist of at least 14 percent SAF by 2030 and only SAF by 2050. It is an important part of the government’s plans to cut CO2 emissions by roughly 11 megatons per year by 2030.

But now, the Cabinet is scrapping that measures, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management told the Volkskrant. The Ministry lowered the requirement to 6 percent SAF last month at the behest of the European Commission, the spokesperson said.

The Netherlands’ ambitions were too high to ensure a level playing field in Europe, a spokesperson for the European Commission told the newspaper.

According to Stefan Grebe, a researcher at CE Delft, this setback makes the feasibility of achieving the 2030 climate targets “doubtful.” The CO2 reduction will now mainly depend on the capacity of Schiphol Airport. “The government has ordered Schiphol to shrink to 440,000 flights. If that happens, emissions will also go down. Then we will still meet the CO2 targets, even without the 14 percent blending obligation.”

But whether Schiphol will actually shrink remains to be seen. Airlines recently won a lawsuit against the Dutch State, blocking the first step of the shrinking process - lowering the flight movements at Schiphol to 460,000 in the upcoming season.

The Ministry of Infrastructure told the Volkskrant that it continues to strive for aviation fuel to be 14 percent SAF by 2030. It hopes that airlines will use more kerosene of their own accord.