Greetings from Belém, the gateway to the Amazon, where COP30 has just kicked off! This year’s UN Climate Change Conference takes place in a city where the Atlantic meets the world’s largest tropical rainforest, a region that absorbs about 5% of global CO₂ emissions each year. The proximity to the Amazon rainforest is a reminder of the critical role this region plays in both climate mitigation and biodiversity conservation – and why it must be protected.
As climate impacts inflict growing human and economic costs in every country, governments, businesses and civil society come together in Belém over the next two weeks to progress climate action. For the civil aviation industry, COP30 offers an important opportunity to engage with policymakers and partners on the next steps towards decarbonisation.
The Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) will host a side event today titled Sustainable Aviation Fuel: A Growth Opportunity for Latin America, exploring the immense potential of Latin America to lead in the production of sustainable aviation fuel or SAF, the single most effective lever in shaping a net zero future for air transport.
Aviation’s commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, formalised by the 41st ICAO Assembly in 2022, represents an historic turning point for the sector. But reaching that goal demands a rapid transformation of the energy that powers our aircraft today.
The numbers are daunting: To reach net zero by mid-century, the world will need up to 500 million tonnes of SAF each year. Current global production stands at just over 2 million tonnes, accounting for less than 1% of total jet fuel use. Yet, the momentum is picking up steam: production has doubled year on year and new offtake agreements and SAF policies are accelerating.
SAF can be produced from a wide range of renewable sources, including used cooking oil, agricultural residues, municipal waste and low-carbon feedstocks such as sugarcane or corn-based ethanol. For this transformation to happen, regions such as Latin America, who have abundant resources, will play a critical role on aviation’s path to net zero. According to SkyNRG’s Market Outlook 2025, the region will contribute a total production capacity of 2.4 million tonnes per year by 2030.
Latin America combines three critical assets: a wide availability of natural resources, strong agricultural and emerging biofuel industries, as well as growing renewable energy capacity. Together, these give the region a unique advantage in producing SAF.
The future of SAF in Latin America will be driven by feedstock diversification and technological innovation. Today’s production relies mainly on HEFA (Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids) derived from used cooking oils and fats. However, the next decade will see the rapid growth of Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) and Power-to-Liquid (PtL) technologies, using ethanol and captured CO₂ to produce SAF (Source: ALTA).
Brazil and Argentina are set to lead in this transition. Brazil alone has 21% of its land dedicated to agriculture and is the world’s second-largest ethanol producer, giving it a head start in scaling AtJ production. According to IATA, by 2030 it is estimated that around 10% of the total unconstrained feedstock supply in Brazil could be used to produce SAF. Agricultural residues are expected to play the most significant role, contributing almost 60% of this potential, most of which originates from sugarcane straw and bagasse. With an energy grid already dominated by renewables and access to biogenic CO₂ sources, Brazil is also poised to deploy e-SAF technologies at scale.
Other countries in the region such as Chile, Colombia or Mexico also show promising potential, supported by growing ethanol and biodiesel markets. The region’s broad feedstock base from sugarcane and corn to jatropha, algae, and waste oils will underpin a diversified and resilient SAF ecosystem.
The rise of SAF in Latin America is not just a climate opportunity but also supports economic development in the decades to come. Building this industry could create millions of new jobs, drive infrastructure investment and revitalise rural economies.
The analysis Fueling Net Zero, indicates that scaling SAF across Latin America could require up to 840 production facilities with an investment of roughly $183 billion. This would sustain or create more than 4 million jobs across the value chain. For every $1 million invested in bioenergy, approximately 23 jobs are generated, compared with only 2 to 3 jobs per million invested in conventional energy sectors. This means SAF represents not only a route to decarbonisation, but also a powerful catalyst for economic growth.
As Latin America scales SAF production, it will be essential to ensure that this growth is happening in a responsible manner. Land use change, biodiversity protection, or food security must remain at the centre of the conversation. Policymakers will need to balance agricultural expansion with conservation and implement safeguards that protect communities and ecosystems.
This is particularly important in a region as rich in natural resources as Latin America. With responsible policies and the compliance with strict sustainability standards, a just transition and responsible development can be ensured.
Realising this vision of a regional SAF powerhouse requires collaboration across borders and sectors, something that ATAG helps to facilitate, and that will be at the centre of discussion at our event in Belém today.
Hosting COP30 in Brazil is more than symbolic: It emphasises the region’s growing role in shaping global climate solutions and its potential to lead in the sector’s energy transition. The aviation sector has set its course towards net zero and Latin America will take a front row seat.
Learn more at www.atag.org