France: accelerating the decarbonization of aviation

The French government is launching a "task force" to accelerate the production of renewable fuels for aviation, against a backdrop of European regulatory pressure and massive investment from the United States. The goal is to incorporate 2% renewable aviation fuels in aircraft fuel tanks by 2025, 5% by 2030 and 50% by 2050.

Share:

The French government announced Tuesday its intention to accelerate the availability of renewable fuels to decarbonize aviation. This initiative comes in response to European regulatory pressure and massive American investment in the sector.

 

Ambitious objectives

The government has announced ambitious targets for reducing CO2 emissions from aviation. Indeed, the Minister of Energy Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, recalled that the government aimed at 2% incorporation of renewable aviation fuels (SAF) in the tanks of aircraft in 2025, 5% in 2030 and 50% in 2050. These targets could be further tightened by the European Union.

 

A “task force” to accelerate the establishment of a sector of these fuels

To achieve these ambitious goals, the French government has announced the creation of a “task force” composed of energy companies, researchers, aircraft manufacturers, airlines and airport managers. This tightly-knit team will have to draw up a very concrete, credible roadmap, with intermediate milestones, in order to accelerate the establishment of a sector for these fuels, made from waste oils or biomass (plant residues), for example. This roadmap is to be presented by June 2023 at the Paris Air Show, the industry’s biennial showcase.

 

Challenges of competitiveness and sovereignty

The Minister of Transport, Clément Beaune, has called for the acceleration of the availability of renewable fuels for reasons of competitiveness and sovereignty. In fact, since it is not possible to produce them in France, FAS would be massively imported from third countries, in particular from the United States, which has put in place powerful tax incentives to develop production.

 

Major challenges to be met

However, in order to meet the French government’s ambitious targets, airlines will have to rely on SAF for 65% of their operations. However, current production is far below the quantities needed to meet demand. Global aviation would consume 450 billion liters of SAF per year by mid-century, 1,500 times more than was produced last year. It is therefore imperative to create large-scale production channels to lower the price of FAS. The targets set by the French government are ambitious, but the airline industry federations believe they can be achieved through the adoption of innovative technologies and increased use of renewable fuels.

Asia dominated global new renewable energy capacity in 2024 with 71% of installations, while Africa recorded limited growth of only 7.2%, according to the latest annual report from IRENA.
US President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act dramatically changes energy investment rules, imposing restrictions on renewables while favouring hydrocarbons, according to a recent report by consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie.
On July 8, 2025, the Senate validated the Gremillet bill, aimed at structuring France's energy transition with clear objectives for nuclear power, renewable energies, and energy renovation.
Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Peru significantly increase renewable electricity production, reaching nearly 70% of the regional electricity mix, according to a recent Wood Mackenzie study on Latin America's energy sector.
The Canadian government announces an investment of more than $40mn to fund 13 energy projects led by Indigenous communities across the country, aiming to improve energy efficiency and increase local renewable energy use.
A major electricity blackout paralyzed large parts of the Czech Republic, interrupting transport and essential networks, raising immediate economic concerns, and highlighting the vulnerability of energy infrastructures to unforeseen technical incidents.
French greenhouse gas emissions are expected to rise by 0.2% in the first quarter of 2025, indicating a global slowdown in reductions forecast for the full year, according to Citepa, an independent organisation responsible for national monitoring.
The Republican budget bill passed by the U.S. Senate accelerates the phase-out of tax credits for renewable energies, favoring fossil fuels and raising economic concerns among solar and wind industry professionals.
Rapid growth in solar and wind capacities will lead to a significant rise in electricity curtailment in Brazil, as existing transmission infrastructure remains inadequate to handle this massive influx of energy, according to a recent study by consulting firm Wood Mackenzie.
In April 2025, fossil fuels represented 49.5% of South Korea's electricity mix, dropping below the symbolic threshold of 50% for the first time, primarily due to a historic decline in coal-generated electricity production.
The US Senate Finance Committee modifies the '45Z' tax credit to standardize the tax treatment of renewable fuels, thereby encouraging advanced biofuel production starting October 2025.
According to the 2025 report on global energy access, despite notable progress in renewable energy, insufficient targeted financing continues to hinder electricity and clean cooking access, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
While advanced economies maintain global energy leadership, China and the United States have significantly progressed in the security and sustainability of their energy systems, according to the World Economic Forum's annual report.
On the sidelines of the US–Africa summit in Luanda, Algiers and Luanda consolidate their energy collaboration to better exploit their oil, gas, and mining potential, targeting a common strategy in regional and international markets.
The UK's Climate Change Committee is urging the government to quickly reduce electricity costs to facilitate the adoption of heat pumps and electric vehicles, judged too slow to achieve the set climate targets.
The European Commission will extend until the end of 2030 an expanded state-aid framework, allowing capitals to fund low-carbon technologies and nuclear power to preserve competitiveness against China and the United States.
Japan's grid operator forecasts an energy shortfall of up to 89 GW by 2050 due to rising demand from semiconductor manufacturing, electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence technologies.
Energy-intensive European industries will be eligible for temporary state aid to mitigate high electricity prices, according to a new regulatory framework proposed by the European Commission under the "Clean Industrial Deal."
Mauritius seeks international investors to swiftly build a floating power plant of around 100 MW, aiming to secure the national energy supply by January 2026 and address current production shortfalls.
Madrid announces immediate energy storage measures while Lisbon secures its electrical grid, responding to the historic outage that affected the entire Iberian Peninsula in late April.