Asked by: Chris Hinchliff (Labour - North East Hertfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, regarding aviation decarbonisation, whether the Department plans further modelling beyond that contained within the CBGDP for beyond 2037.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This Government is progressing a range of measures to support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector, including supporting sustainable aviation fuels, airspace modernisation and the development of low and zero emission aerospace technologies.
The Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan (CBGDP), published in October, sets out the Government’s plan for delivering Carbon Budgets 4 – 6 across the whole economy. The CBGDP complements the 2022 Jet Zero Strategy (JZS), the policy document which sets the approach for the aviation sector to achieve net zero by 2050.
We regularly update our aviation modelling and assumptions used in our analysis when new evidence becomes available, including the pathways to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The modelling used in the CBGDP is taken from the latest wider modelling of aviation, including emissions, out to 2050. Further versions of updated modelling will be used to inform future publications, including analysis for Carbon Budget 7.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of whether it is possible to carbon offset all flights; and what are the commercial or other mechanisms for doing so.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is supportive of the role of carbon markets in driving cost-effective decarbonisation of the aviation sector, including through the global carbon offsetting scheme, CORSIA, and aviation’s inclusion in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS). Such measures complement other Government action to achieve net zero aviation by 2050, including on Sustainable Aviation Fuel and airspace modernisation.
Airlines may also choose to offset their emissions voluntarily or offer this to customers. The Government supports businesses engaging with voluntary carbon markets in a way that complements deep emissions cuts, using high-integrity credits to finance additional climate action where immediate abatement is not possible.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether vehicle rentals at airports are in scope of the definition of airport operations for the purposes of Government targets to achieve net zero for UK airport operations.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is supporting the transition to greener aviation, including work on sustainable aviation fuels, airspace modernisation, and low-emission technologies. We are considering the role an airport operations emissions target could play as part of our broader approach to decarbonising aviation. Vehicle rentals are not typically included in the definition of airport operations; however, this would be subject to the scoping of any potential future target. We will set out next steps in due course.
Asked by: Jerome Mayhew (Conservative - Broadland and Fakenham)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 July 2025 to Question 67397 on Aviation: Alternative Fuels, what the total budgeted cost is for the continuation of the Advanced Fuels Fund through to 2029–30.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Spending Review 2025 will continue support for the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the UK to 2029/30 by building on the Advanced Fuels Fund (AFF). DfT will provide details on the parameters of this support in due course.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what the estimated cost to the public purse is of UK transport-sector decarbonisation policies relating to (a) the Zero Emission Vehicle Mandate for cars and vans, (b) HGV decarbonisation programmes, (c) bus and coach decarbonisation schemes and (d) sustainable aviation fuel and wider aviation decarbonisation initiatives by mode.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The transition to zero emission vehicles, including cars, vans and HGVs, received £1.8bn in the spending review settlement, which is additional to the £320m allocated at Autumn Budget 2024.
£40m was allocated for zero emission bus projects through the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) Scheme at Autumn Budget 2024.
£63m in 2025/2026 will support Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production in the UK through the Advanced Fuels Fund. Further support is committed through the next SR period to 2029/30 – the parameters of this funding will be published in due course.
The SAF Revenue Certainty Mechanism will be industry funded.
The Government has announced up to £2.3bn of funding over ten years to extend the Aerospace Technology Institute Programme to 2035. The programme supports industry led projects including the development of new low and zero carbon aircraft.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 28 March 2024 to Question 39576 on Prime Minister: Aviation, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel for the Prime Minster's flights; and whether he plans to do so.
Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office
Prime Ministerial flights are carbon offset where that is possible.
Asked by: Daisy Cooper (Liberal Democrat - St Albans)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if she will bring forward the statutory review of the Jet Zero strategy.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
This Government is committed to delivering greener transport as part of its missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower.
We are progressing a range of measures to support the decarbonisation of the aviation sector at pace. The Government has introduced the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate and the SAF Bill to provide revenue certainty for UK SAF producers, is delivering airspace modernisation, which will see cleaner, quicker and quieter journeys, and is providing funding to support the develop of low and zero emission aerospace technologies.
While there are no statutory obligations for the Government to review the Jet Zero Strategy, we continue to keep our approach to support the decarbonisation of aviation under review.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2025 to Question 74254, what steps she will take to (a) speed up and (b) scale the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is working at pace to deliver greener aviation as a key enabler of Government’s missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower.
The UK plays a key role on coordinated international action through ICAO and forging strong bilateral partnerships to scale SAF technologies and markets. We were one of the first countries in the world to introduce a SAF mandate and a wide range of SAF projects are underway across the UK, using different technologies and progressing through various stages of development.
We are working to speed up and scale up the production of SAF in the UK through the Advanced Fuels Fund and the Revenue Certainty Mechanism. The Advanced Fuels Fund provides funding to first-of-a-kind commercial and demonstration-scale SAF projects in the UK, helping speed up the development and scale up of new technologies and projects. We are also currently legislating for a Revenue Certainty Mechanism. This will help UK-based SAF projects attract investment and start producing SAF at commercial scale more quickly.
The UK’s expertise in petrochemicals, jet fuel, and engineering positions it as a prime location for SAF production and we are confident that our policies can make the UK a world leader in SAF production and use. This will create high-skilled green jobs, attract investment, drive growth, boost fuel security, and open export opportunities. Low-carbon fuel production could support up to 15,000 UK jobs by 2050.
Asked by: Blake Stephenson (Conservative - Mid Bedfordshire)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2025 to Question 74254, what steps she will take to ensure that increased production of Sustainable Aviation Fuels delivers high skilled jobs.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is working at pace to deliver greener aviation as a key enabler of Government’s missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower.
The UK plays a key role on coordinated international action through ICAO and forging strong bilateral partnerships to scale SAF technologies and markets. We were one of the first countries in the world to introduce a SAF mandate and a wide range of SAF projects are underway across the UK, using different technologies and progressing through various stages of development.
We are working to speed up and scale up the production of SAF in the UK through the Advanced Fuels Fund and the Revenue Certainty Mechanism. The Advanced Fuels Fund provides funding to first-of-a-kind commercial and demonstration-scale SAF projects in the UK, helping speed up the development and scale up of new technologies and projects. We are also currently legislating for a Revenue Certainty Mechanism. This will help UK-based SAF projects attract investment and start producing SAF at commercial scale more quickly.
The UK’s expertise in petrochemicals, jet fuel, and engineering positions it as a prime location for SAF production and we are confident that our policies can make the UK a world leader in SAF production and use. This will create high-skilled green jobs, attract investment, drive growth, boost fuel security, and open export opportunities. Low-carbon fuel production could support up to 15,000 UK jobs by 2050.
Asked by: Richard Holden (Conservative - Basildon and Billericay)
Question to the Department for Transport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when she expects her Department to issue a response to the call for evidence on a 2040 zero emissions airport target that was published in May 2023.
Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
The Government is committed to delivering greener transport and supporting its missions to kickstart economic growth and make Britain a clean energy superpower. We are making great strides in transitioning to greener aviation, including work on sustainable aviation fuels, airspace modernisation, and low-emission technologies.
We are considering what role an airport decarbonisation target could play as part of our broader approach to decarbonising aviation. We will set out the next steps in due course.