British Columbia to become first North American jurisdiction with SAF mandate

In Canada, British Columbia will be the first jurisdiction in North America to require fuel suppliers to incorporate low carbon jet fuel (LCJF) into fossil jet fuel. British Columbia has also approved a revamped Low Carbon Fuel Regulation, designed to modernize the previous standard.

“When the province set a new 2030 transportation emissions reduction target in December 2022 within its CleanBC strategy, it already had one of most stringent low carbon fuel standards regulations in the world. BC required the use of low carbon on-road transport fuels starting in 2013, but proven and fully functional low carbon fuels compatible with the large turbines in commercial aircraft took years of development”, explained ABFC President Ian Thomson.

“Fast forward to late 2023, there are hundreds of planes in the air today using LCJF, and with availability at over 100 airports. But for these alternatives to be manufactured at scale, fuel producers need assured markets, and that’s where BC’s leadership – again – is so critical. After consulting widely, BC has set gradual, achievable, and affordable targets. Aviation emissions are growing, and viable alternatives must perform as flawlessly as fossil jet fuels. Years of commercial use show that LCJF is not only as safe and operable as fossil jet, but also superior in several aspects.”