SCOTUS biofuel waiver decision – What it means, the good news, reactions, why it isn’t over yet

International policy good news

In case you missed this positive piece of news last week, the UK aviation industry launched the first interim decarbonization targets of at least 15% by 2030 and 40% by 2040, having reaffirmed their commitment to net zero by 2050. The new interim targets lay foundations for rapid acceleration of aviation decarbonization in the coming decades, with new data on the impact of Covid-19 on aviation demand. The focus is on ramping up SAF, permanent carbon removal, and new low and zero carbon technologies – such as electric and hydrogen powered aircraft – so that they can become mainstream in the 2030s.

These milestones are reflected on a new chart taking account of the effects of Covid-19 on aviation demand, and complement an ever-growing set of voluntary industry pledges to drive down emissions fast. Importantly, the announcement also kickstarts detailed work to update by the middle of next year the sector’s Decarbonisation Road Map, first published in 2020, that is expected to demonstrate even faster potential to decarbonise aviation through technology innovation.

Another piece of good news is that the Swiss government renewed the GRI partnership to spread sustainability reporting globally. through a new €3.8 million (US$4.6m) program to increase high-quality sustainability disclosure and accountability by organizations in Africa, Hispanic America and South East Asia. The key aims of the four-year Sustainability Reporting for Responsible Business (SRRB) program are to enhance the capacity of companies for reporting; create and improve the environment for transparency and disclosure; and increase the application of corporate sustainability data by stakeholders.

What this means for those in the bio-world is that those three key world regions will have more training, improved access to sustainability professional development, engagement with government on integrating ESG in the public sector, and more programs like those that will further biobased industry in developing markets.

Bottom Line

This is far from good news for biofuels producers in the U.S. but the Senate and House news, Oregon’s bump up in ethanol blending, and other good news like that offers some light in the dark. And like the saying goes, it ain’t over til it’s over, so stay tuned on the other pieces and decisions yet to come from SCOTUS and keep your fingers crossed for more good news next time.