In December 2025, Union Minister of State (MoS) Murlidhar Mohol, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) announced that the Government of India (GoI) has formally approved the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) blending targets in traditional jet fuel i.e. 1% by 2027, 2% by 2028, and 5% by 2030.
- The initial SAF blending targets will apply to international flights departing from India, while all operational and upcoming Greenfield airports have been directed by MoCA to work towards carbon neutrality and net-zero emissions.
- At present, a total of 93 airports in India have switched over to 100% green energy usage.
Exam Hints:
- What? GoI Approved SAF blending targets
- Announced by: Union MoS Murlidhar Mohol, MoCA
- Blending Targets: 1% (by 2027), 2% (by 2028), and 5% (by 2030)
- Objective: To reduce carbon emissions from aviation sector
- Applicability: International Flights (for initial phase)
- ICAO’s backed initiatives: CORSIA, LTAG and ACT-SAF
- LTAG Target: Net- Zero Emissions by 2050
ICAO’s Initiatives to Reduce Emissions from Aviation Sector:
ICAO-CORSIA: India, being a member state of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), is obligated to comply with the mandatory phase of Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) from the year 2027.
- CORSIA, adopted by ICAO, aimed to reduce carbon emissions from international civil aviation.
- Under the CORSIA scheme, airlines must offset emissions exceeding the 2019 baseline, with the requirement currently applying only to international flights.
LTAG: In October 2022, the 41st ICAO Assembly adopted a Long-Term Global Aspirational Goal (LTAG) for international aviation, aimed to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 in support of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Paris Agreement’s temperature target.
- It is a non-binding arrangement i.e. with no specific obligations or commitments in the form of emissions reduction goals to individual member states.
- LTAG assesses each state’s special circumstances and respective capabilities in order to achieve the set target within its own national timeframe.
- India has pledged to achieve Net-Zero Target by 2070.
Other Initiatives: Apart from these, India has joined ICAO-backed Assistance, Capacity-building and Training for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (ACT-SAF) programme and is also an active member of various working groups of ICAO Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection.
About SAF:
SAF: It is an alternative fuel made from non-petroleum products like: food and yard waste portion of municipal solid waste, woody biomass, and other feedstocks.
SAF Partnership: In August 2025, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), India’s largest refiner and fuel retailer, signed an MoU with Air India to supply sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), advancing greener aviation.
Certification Milestone: IOC became the first Indian company to secure ISCC CORSIA certification for SAF production at its Panipat Refinery in Haryana.
About Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA):
Union Minister- Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu (Constituency- Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, AP)
Minister of State (MoS)- Murlidhar Kisan Mohol (Constituency- Pune, Maharashtra)
