[IMPACT Webinar]: From Sustainability to Security: Investing in SAF

Date and Time: 10:00-11:50 London Time | May 7 2026

Format: Digital Conference

Abstract:

The Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) industry has reached a pivotal turning point, evolving from a niche decarbonization tool into a strategically vital energy ecosystem. While sustainability remains its foundation, SAF is now recognized for its essential role in securing aviation energy supplies, diversifying production capabilities, and fortifying long-term industrial resilience.

With binding mandates like ReFuelEU, Singapore’s SAF Levy, UK SAF Mandate, etc. moving into implementation, the industry has moved beyond "Why investing SAF?" to "How do we scale rapidly, efficiently, and collectively?" The widening gap between committed demand and actual production capacity has created a unique window for synchronized action across the entire value chain.

This webinar cuts through the key information of the industry to tackle the practicalities of the 2030 transition. Join the architects of the SAF ecosystem—policymakers, developers, airlines, fuel suppliers, and capital providers to accelerate large-scale deployment. Whether you are looking to deploy capital or secure your supply chain, this is where the roadmap to 2030 becomes actionable.

May 7th Agenda

3:31 | [Keynote] The Sovereign Mandate for Security: Policy Certainty Promotes SAF Development
Haldane Dodd, Executive Director, Air Transport Action Group (ATAG)

22:28 | [Keynote] Domestic Excellence – The National Roadmap for SAF Industry
Denise Pronk, Head of Sustainability, Royal Schiphol Group

42:45 | [Keynote] The Buyer’s Commitment – From Off-take Agreements to FID
Jonathon Counsell, Group Sustainability Officer, International Airlines Group (IAG)

1:03:48| [Executive Panel] Driving Capital Resilience and Promoting the 2030 Readiness
Moderator:
Duncan McCourt, Chief Executive, Sustainable Aviation
Panelists:
Robert Boyd, Chief, Finvest Hub, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
Jim Woodger, Managing Director - EMEA & Americas, LanzaTech
Jackie Brew, Senior Manager of Aviation, Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance

Session Highlights

Haldane Dodd: Executive Director of the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), opened the webinar with a sobering data-driven case for SAF as an energy security imperative with 90% of fossil jet fuel from just 22 countries, aviation risks becoming a residual user of a shrinking, volatile fuel system. He reframed SAF as a tool of supply diversification, democratizing aviation energy across potentially 150 countries.

Denise Pronk: Head of Sustainability at Royal Schiphol Group, outlined how the Netherlands has built a frontrunner position through sustained domestic collaboration, with government, airports and airlines jointly setting a 2030 emissions target as early as 2018, backed by world-class infrastructure, a pioneering aviation sector, and a national roadmap now moving from planning to implementation.

Jonathon Counsell: Group Sustainability Officer at International Airlines Group (IAG), demonstrated how airline demand commitments are becoming essential for providing bankability and enabling projects to reach Final Investment Decision (FID) through long-term offtake agreements, direct investment, and strategic partnerships with emerging SAF and e-SAF producers.

The Executive Panel, moderated by Duncan McCourt (Sustainable Aviation) with Robert Boyd (ICAO Finvest Hub), Jim Woodger (LanzaTech) and Jackie Brew (Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance), brought together perspectives from aviation organizations, SAF developers, financial stakeholders, and corporate buyers to discuss how the industry can accelerate readiness for 2030. Panelists concluded that achieving 2030 SAF readiness will depend on whether governments, investors, and industry leaders can scale capital deployment and supply chains fast enough to match growing policy mandates and market demand.

Key Insights

The 2025–2027 window is critical: Offtake agreements and FIDs reached in this period will largely determine whether 2030 mandate targets are met.
Global momentum is diversifying: Growing policy and project activity in Asia, Africa and Latin America is balancing dampened sentiment in parts of Europe and North America.
Policy certainty is the prerequisite:
Infrastructure and technology are advancing, but without clear, stable policy frameworks, investment decisions stall. Long-term mandates, transparent regulation, and coordinated international policy frameworks were identified as essential conditions for unlocking capital investment, scaling production capacity, and accelerating commercial deployment.
Airline Demand Commitments Are Accelerating Market Development:
Long-term offtake agreements and direct investment from airlines are increasingly becoming critical mechanisms for improving project bankability and helping SAF developers move projects toward Final Investment Decision (FID).
Offtakes must be bankable:
Only binding, long term commitments—not letters of intent—can unlock project finance and bring facilities to FID.
Collaboration Across the Entire Value Chain Is Essential: Governments, airlines, airports, fuel producers, investors, and infrastructure providers must work together to build scalable SAF ecosystems and accelerate market readiness for 2030 and beyond.