SAF fuels debate at World Economic Forum

opinion

by Fayaz Hussain

February 17, 2026

The third week of this year saw more than 300 business jets descend on Zurich’s runways as leaders around the world visited the World Economic Forum in Davos. Many used sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to decarbonise their flights.

But the presence of SAF wasn’t confined to jets’ fuel tanks – it also enjoyed attention on stage at the forum. French energy major TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne highlighted the challenges facing the SAF mandate while Trafigura CEO Richard Hartum said the sector would need subsidies to scale production.

At the forum, members of the First Movers Coalition (FMC) for Aviation which includes Apple, DHL, Qatar and Rio Tinto committed to adopting clean fuels to decarbonise aviation-related emissions. One of the coalition members, AVEVA, a global industrial software company, took a significant leap in SAF adoption.

The Cambridge-headquartered firm said it has acquired SAF certificates for use at London Heathrow Airport through British Airways’ multi-year supply agreement with EcoCeres.

“The purchase was prompted by AVEVA’s participation in the World Economic Forum’s FMC and the fact that business travel is a material source of emissions for AVEVA,” Lisa Wee, AVEVA’s chief sustainability officer tells SAF Investor. “As a services- and software-led business with a global footprint, aviation emissions are difficult to eliminate in the near term.”

For firms like AVEVA, SAFc is the most practical tool to decarbonise their aviation-related emissions. And it fits well into their overall sustainability architecture. The company has already reduced Scope 1 and 2 operational emissions by over 93% and maintains an Science-Based Targets initiative-validated target to reduce value-chain emissions by 50% by 2030.

“AVEVA can contribute to scaling high-quality SAF by aggregating demand, strengthening market signals and supporting the transition from early-stage deployment to broader commercialisation,” said Wee. “There is an important role for corporates in helping to scale emerging climate solutions that the market is not yet delivering at speed.”

The transaction also highlights an unusual circularity in the SAF value chain. EcoCeres, the company that signed multi-year SAF supply agreement with British Airways, uses AVEVA’s software to optimise its SAF production process. The two have worked together since 2024. But this SAFc purchase takes their partnership forward – one that AVEVA expects to grow.

“We see SAF certificates as an important near- to medium-term lever to support the scale-up of SAF, particularly while physical supply remains constrained,” Wee tells us. “As a member of the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance, AVEVA is participating in SABA’s current request for proposal process, which is focused on securing next-generation SAF pathways needed to decarbonise aviation beyond 2030.”

SABA launched an RFP in May 2025 to increase the supply of next generation SAF including power-to-liquids and those using advanced bio-based feedstocks. Through this, SABA will facilitate five-to-10 years forward purchasing commitments on behalf of its members.

For now, AVEVA has already met its FMC commitment five years early. But this intention sends a clear signal to investors on the sidelines that demand for SAF very much exists.