The Sustainable Skies World Summit reinforced a shared commitment across government and industry, turning ambition into tangible action and with UK Government and industry announcing measurable progress toward a net zero aviation future.
With a strong focus on delivery, the two-day event convened industry stakeholders, policymakers and sustainability advocates to address the sector’s most pressing challenges. Throughout the summit, there was a clear emphasis on practical implementation, with experts addressing immediate regulatory and operational requirements, SAF market realities, finance and investment support, carbon offsets and removals, non-CO2, accelerating the deployment of next-generation technologies, hydrogen aviation and identifying investment pathways to scale sustainable aviation solutions.
A major highlight of the summit was the UK Government’s update on its Jet Zero strategy. Keir Mather MP, Minister for Aviation, Maritime and Decarbonisation, launched the Jet Zero Taskforce’s first annual report, outlining significant steps forward in decarbonising air travel. Central to this progress is the UK’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate, introduced in January 2025. The mandate requires fuel suppliers to blend SAF starting at 2%, increasing to 10% by 2030, providing a clear, long-term signal to accelerate production and adoption. The Government also detailed its Revenue Certainty Mechanism, designed to unlock private investment, alongside £63 million awarded through the Advanced Fuels Fund in 2025.
Complementing these developments, Sustainable Aviation announced a £2 million “Advanced Market Signal” initiative aimed at scaling the greenhouse gas removal (GGR) market. Through this initiative, industry members have committed to purchasing carbon removal credits, supporting the development of a market expected to require 20–30 million tonnes of removals annually by 2050.
Matt Ridley, Director of Sustainability and Innovation, Oneworld: “We as a sector are so important to the global economy. We’ve got to find a way of having less of an impact on the environment. So, Sustainable Skies is an important, inspiring opportunity to meet other people from other parts of the sector, and I’ve been really encouraged to see how sustainability is represented and [meet the] people thinking about a more sustainable future for aviation in Farnborough.”
Through a comprehensive programme of keynotes, panel discussions and workshops, the summit provided a platform to showcase progress to date while aligning on the priorities and targets that will shape the future of global aviation.
