American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) and Shell Aviation have announced that Google is now part of their sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) program. This partnership aligns with Google’s objective to achieve net zero emissions across its operations and value chain by 2030, contributing to global climate solutions.
Michael Terrell, Sr. Director of Climate and Energy, Google: “The use of SAF will play a critical role in helping the aviation sector on its path to decarbonize. Joining Amex GBT’s sustainable aviation fuel program further represents Google’s continued efforts to accelerate the global transition to a carbon-free future.”
The collaboration between Amex GBT, Shell Aviation, and Google showcases the private sector’s capacity to instigate transformative change. By uniting major corporations like Aon, Bank of America, Delta, Cathay Pacific, JetBlue, and Japan Airlines, the SAF program spearheaded by Amex GBT and Shell Aviation advances the aviation industry’s transition to net zero emissions. This initiative not only consolidates demand but also promotes the burgeoning SAF market. Launched in 2022, the program commenced with 1 million gallons of SAF, sufficient to fuel nearly 15,000 business trips between London and New York.
Andrew Crawley, President of American Express Global Business Travel, emphasized the significance of business travel within aviation, accounting for 15% of global air travel and generating 40% of revenues. Google’s involvement underscores the potential of corporate collaboration in expediting the shift towards sustainable travel.
Given that air travel contributes to 90% of business travel emissions, addressing the underlying challenge of aviation’s reliance on fossil fuels is imperative for sustainable business travel. SAF, utilized in its pure form, exhibits the potential to cut carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to traditional fossil-based fuels. Currently, SAF represents a promising avenue for decarbonizing air travel, although it constitutes less than 0.1% of available aviation fuel and carries a higher cost than conventional jet fuel.
Amex GBT and Shell Aviation are actively engaging corporations and airlines to mitigate these challenges. Leveraging the customer base of Shell Aviation and the purchasing power of Amex GBT’s 19,000+ corporate clients spanning 140 countries, the cost of SAF can be shared, driving increased adoption. This heightened demand fosters investments in additional production facilities and technologies, paving the way for economies of scale and propelling the nascent SAF industry forward.
Jan Toschka, President, Shell Aviation: “It’s great that through the Avelia program Shell Aviation will supply SAF to support Google in cutting emissions from its corporate flying. Considering Google’s stature and prominence this announcement represents an important milestone for decarbonising aviation. As scaling the uptake of SAF will only be possible if all parts of the aviation value chain work together, we’re thrilled to work with such an influential and forward-thinking company.”
The program is underpinned by Avelia, one of the world’s first blockchain-powered digital solutions for SAF booking and claiming in business travel. Avelia utilizes blockchain technology to ensure transparent tracking of the environmental attributes associated with SAF used in aviation fuel. These attributes can be allocated to both airlines and business customers, preventing issues such as double counting. Consequently, corporations can confidently report validated reductions in lifecycle emissions attributed to SAF, while concurrently working towards meeting future net zero or science-based targets.