Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill

Lord Ravensdale Excerpts

Tuesday 24th February 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Trefgarne (Con)]

I welcome the passage of this Bill. It will result in a slight increase in costs as far as the training sector of aviation is concerned, but that is a small price to pay for the overall benefits.

[Lord Ravensdale (CB)]

My Lords, I remind noble Lords of my interest as a chief engineer working for AtkinsRéalis. I will briefly thank the Minister and his team for their time in all our meetings and for their collaborative approach during the passage of the Bill. In particular, the accommodation we reached on the exclusion of hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids fuels—HEFA—from revenue certainty mechanism support, and the helpful response of the Minister to the intervention from the noble Lord, Lord Harper, on a Statement in Parliament if that were to be changed, meets the intent of my amendments and that of the noble Lord, Lord Moylan. This will provide important clarity for industry and focus support where it is most needed in de-risking the more immature technologies.

It has been welcome to see rare cross-party support for a Bill in the energy space, and I hope we can carry forward that collaborative spirit on future energy Bills in the next Session.

[Baroness Pidgeon (LD)]

My Lords, as we reach the final stage of this Bill, I say a huge thank you to the Minister and his team of officials. They have been incredibly open to discussion and have genuinely listened to our concerns throughout this process. I hope the Minister agrees with me that our discussions on reporting and monitoring will help to ensure that the impacts of the legislation are understood thoroughly as it is implemented, including by government, the sector and other stakeholders. This level of engagement has been vital in making sure that it is practical and ready to work in the real world. This legislation will provide the clarity and confidence the industry needs to finally get the wheels turning on sustainable aviation fuel.

I thank Adam Bull in our Whips’ Office for his support and hard work behind the scenes. I thank my noble friend Lord Russell for his immense work and support on this Bill. Ultimately, our goal is to see the aviation industry embrace a cleaner future. This Bill is an important step forward, making sustainable aviation fuel a common reality rather than a distant goal and ensuring that we can stay connected while significantly reducing the sector’s environmental impact. I look forward to seeing this legislation put into practice and seeing a much higher proportion of sustainable fuel in the sector in the years to come.