Apart from one minor change of wording the following article was first published in German, by Swissmem.

Aviation contributes 2-3% to global greenhouse gas emissions every year. If indirect effects such as contrails, nitrogen oxides and water vapour are added, the figure is as high as 3-4% – and the sector and its emissions are growing rapidly. Renewable fuels have the greatest leverage for reducing CO2 emissions in aviation.

In order to accelerate the development and introduction of sustainable fuels, such as Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), SPIN, together with Swissmem, advocated important adjustments to the revision of the law:

  • Switzerland’s connection to an international system of guarantees of origin for sustainable fuels – the so-called “Book & Claim”,
  • the prevention of a flight tax on business flights and the associated voluntary commitment of the industry to make greater use of SAF.

Book & Claim

Airlines that want to refuel with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) are currently facing challenges that lead to higher costs and unnecessary emissions. SAF must be physically refuelled. Airlines can therefore only fly with sustainable paraffin if they have access to it at a location.

The so-called “book & claim” offers a solution by decoupling the physical flow of SAF from the sustainability claim. This allows the purchase of SAF without direct delivery to a specific aircraft. Instead, SAF is fed into the fuel system at an airport near the production site. The amount of SAF produced is monitored, verified and the corresponding carbon emission factors are allocated to the buyer in the form of a certificate.

Advantages for the industry

A prerequisite for the Book & Claim system to work is the complete traceability of the SAF flows in order to prevent double counting. The effort required for this is enormous. Thanks to the takeover of refuelEU Aviation, Switzerland can join the European Book & Claim and does not have to set up its own certification system.

There are numerous advantages for the industry: Sustainable supply chains can be established, even if sustainable fuels are not available locally. Cost efficiency, independence from airlines and locations and theoretically unlimited quantities of SAF that can be used are further advantages.

Secure sales market

Together with the Swiss Business Aviation Association and SWISS, Swissmem and SPIN prevented a flight tax on business flights. Instead, the industry should do more to promote renewable aviation fuels. A corresponding voluntary commitment by the industry with stricter requirements was quickly agreed. With this voluntary commitment, a majority could be found in the National Council, which rejected the proposal from the National Council‘s environmental committee for a flight tax on business jet flights. This gives SAF manufacturers, such as Swissmem member Synhelion, better planning security and makes it easier to find investors, as the sales market is secured.

Good framework conditions are required

A rapid ramp-up of Power-to-X production requires stable framework conditions in the long term. Switzerland’s connection to the EU book & claim system and the adoption of EU blending quotas are decisive steps to enable a rapid and cost-efficient ramp-up of sustainable aviation fuel.