Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of First Generation Sustainable Aviation Fuels on the environment.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is one of the key measures required to decarbonise aviation. The SAF Mandate could deliver up to 6.3 million tonnes of carbon savings per year by 2040.

The SAF Mandate encourages a diverse range of feedstocks and technologies. It also has strict sustainability criteria that SAF must meet to be eligible. SAF must be made from sustainable wastes or residues (such as used cooking oil or forestry residues), recycled carbon fuels (such as unrecyclable plastics), or power to liquid fuels made using low carbon (renewable or nuclear) electricity. This prevents negative environmental consequences such as the loss of biodiversity, deforestation and the clearance of land with high carbon stock (e.g. peatland) that could be associated with the cultivation of raw materials used in SAF production.