Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is gaining unprecedented momentum globally, with new figures unveiled at ICAO Aviation Climate Week 2026 showing that production capacity, policy support and industry participation have all doubled over the past year.
The update, presented during the event's second day dedicated to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), lower-carbon aviation fuel (LCAF) and cleaner energy pathways, underscores growing international efforts to decarbonise one of the world's most difficult sectors to abate.
According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), CORSIA-compliant SAF production capacity has reached 5.7 million tonnes, while the number of supporting policies worldwide has risen to 93. More than 700 companies are now certified under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), reflecting rapidly expanding participation across the aviation fuel value chain.
The figures mark significant progress towards ICAO's Long-Term Aspirational Goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions from international aviation by 2050 and support implementation of the Global Framework for SAF, LCAF and other aviation cleaner energies adopted by governments under the Third Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3).
A major focus of this year's discussions is the growing role of waste and residue-based feedstocks in scaling sustainable fuel production without competing with food systems or driving land-use change.
ICAO highlighted three processing residues that have been approved under the CORSIA framework: spent bleaching earth, dry coconut pulp and sugarcane vinasse. All qualify for a zero indirect land-use change (ILUC) value in lifecycle emissions calculations, making them particularly attractive for SAF developers seeking to maximise carbon reductions and sustainability credentials.
Spent bleaching earth, a by-product of vegetable oil refining, contains residual oils that can be recovered and converted into aviation fuels. Dry coconut pulp, generated from non-edible coconuts, can be processed into crude coconut oil and upgraded into sustainable jet fuel. Sugarcane vinasse, a residue from ethanol production, is also emerging as a promising feedstock pathway, particularly in regions with established sugar industries.
The growing acceptance of such unconventional feedstocks signals a broader shift towards circular economy approaches in aviation decarbonisation. Rather than relying solely on dedicated energy crops, producers are increasingly turning to agricultural and industrial waste streams to generate low-carbon fuels.
For Africa, the development could open new opportunities for investment and industrial growth. The continent possesses abundant agricultural residues, including bagasse, molasses, used cooking oil and other biomass resources that could support domestic SAF production while creating new revenue streams for farmers and agro-processing industries.
The rapid expansion of CORSIA-certified companies also points to increasing commercial demand for sustainable aviation fuels as airlines seek to meet tightening emissions targets and prepare for future compliance obligations.
Industry observers view the latest figures as evidence that SAF is moving beyond the pilot stage and into large-scale deployment. While production volumes remain well below the levels required to fully decarbonise aviation, the doubling of capacity and policy support within a single year suggests accelerating momentum across governments, fuel producers, investors and airlines.
Held under the theme "One Global Path: Advancing Net-Zero Aviation", ICAO Aviation Climate Week 2026 is bringing together policymakers, airlines, fuel producers and climate experts to assess progress on aviation's decarbonisation journey as CORSIA marks its tenth anniversary.
For emerging SAF markets, including those in Africa, the message from is clear: sustainable aviation fuels are becoming a central pillar of the global aviation transition, and waste-based feedstocks are increasingly at the heart of that transformation.
