EU Aviation Strategy — T&E Call for Evidence Response

Transport & Environment (T&E) has submitted a detailed response to the EU Aviation Strategy consultation, emphasising the urgent need for Europe to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and imported kerosene amid geopolitical tensions such as the Iran crisis and the war in Ukraine. The organisation warns that without a forward-looking approach, Europe risks losing its global leadership in aerospace technology to competitors like China. T&E argues that the aviation sector should be recognised as a strategic industry, with a clear responsibility to finance its own transition towards sustainability through investments in electric and hydrogen technologies, as well as sustainable aviation fuels (e-SAF). Central to T&E’s vision are five pillars designed to build a resilient and competitive European aviation industry. These include scaling up e-SAF production, developing next-generation zero-emission technologies within the EU, implementing non-CO2 climate impact mitigation measures, introducing fair pricing mechanisms to generate investment revenues, and moving away from volume-driven growth towards economic value. The organisation stresses that regulatory certainty and financial support are critical to making e-SAF projects viable and accelerating innovation. Furthermore, T&E highlights the importance of multi-stakeholder collaboration for large-scale trials aimed at reducing non-CO2 emissions, which have often been overlooked in climate strategies. T&E’s response also calls for a fundamental shift in how aviation growth is managed, advocating for limits on volume expansion to prioritise environmental and economic benefits rather than mere passenger numbers. They propose fair taxation as a tool to internalise the environmental costs of aviation and generate funds to support the sector’s green transformation. This approach is presented as essential not only for reducing aviation’s carbon footprint but also for enhancing Europe’s energy sovereignty and economic resilience in a rapidly changing global landscape. The organisation’s stance reflects a broader push within the EU to align the aviation sector with the bloc’s ambitious climate goals. By positioning aviation as a strategic industry that must invest in its own sustainable future, T&E underscores the need for strong policy frameworks that incentivise innovation and ensure long-term competitiveness. Their recommendations, if adopted, could pave the way for Europe to lead in zero-emission aviation technologies, helping to secure both environmental and economic objectives in the coming decades.