With just weeks to go until the 100-day countdown to COP29 begins, global travel company Explore Worldwide, owned by Hotelplan UK, announces it is the first adventure tour operator to offer customers the opportunity to buy Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) alongside their holiday.
This comes as new research from Explore’s headquarters in the UK shows that whilst people’s understanding of SAF and its environmental benefits is low (58% said they do not understand how a biofuel works), demand for sustainable solutions is high. The key findings from their survey include:
- 50% want to reduce the environmental impact of their travel
- 51% think the industry and consumers should both contribute financially to minimise the environmental impact of travel
- 45% agree the travel industry needs to develop aviation fuels that reduce carbon emissions
In light of this, Explore Worldwide is calling on the travel industry to get behind potential solutions of the climate crisis. SAF is one of the latest technologies that shows promise, but it will require backing from the travel sector, as well as substantial investment to make an impact. Explore are urging airlines and the broader travel industry to make solutions to climate change more accessible to consumers – “it should be as easy to buy SAF as booking hold luggage or pre-selecting your seat” says Explore’s Managing Director, Michael Edwards.
Explore Worldwide will be offering Australian travellers the opportunity to purchase SAF in quantities of $40 which covers enough SAF to reduce CO2e emissions by 42kg. Regardless of having booked a holiday with Explore, people will be able to purchase SAF by completing the form via www.exploreworldwide.com.au/sustainable-aviation-fuel
Michael Edwards, Managing Director of Explore Worldwide, said “Fundamentally, there is no silver bullet for the climate crisis. But there are potential technologies and solutions, like SAF and carbon removal schemes, that cannot be developed and tested without funding.
SAF is more expensive than traditional jet fuel1. The complexity around pricing and support mechanisms are not well established, and processes required to scale it are not publicly disclosed. But the industry – and indeed all industries – needs to support SAF in order to boost demand, production and drive down costs, and give it a fighting chance to be a solution to tackle climate change.
We’re living in a world where consumers are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious, but it’s not currently easy for them to connect with SAF and other new technology. The technology exists, but consumers aren’t empowered to get behind it currently. It should be as easy to buy SAF as booking hold luggage. That is the kind of change we want to see across the industry. As part of Explore Worldwide’s sustainability strategy, we’re committed to funding solutions of the future, and we believe that Sustainable Aviation Fuel could be one of these solutions. We want to try new things, find out what works best for us and our customers – increase conversation, find out what demand is there. The only way we can make a difference is by jumping in feet-first. Change happens one step at a time – the only way we can prove this is by taking that first step.”
As well as its commitment to investing in SAF, Explore Worldwide supports leading carbon removal technologies (instead of traditional carbon offsetting) through its partnership with Klimate. The operator donates a sum from every booking to support verifiable carbon removal projects, from soil sequestration to Direct Air Capture.
SAF can reduce CO2 emissions by 70% over its lifecycle compared to traditional jet fuel. However, SAF only accounts for approximately 0.1% 2 of all jet fuel used worldwide – a figure that has remained largely the same for the last four years.
Despite the need to adopt new fuel solutions in order to meet environmental targets (10% SAF target is a legal requirement of the Paris Agreement on climate change) uptake is still slow.
Explore Worldwide is amongst the first travel businesses to get the wheels in motion and is urging the travel sector to put protecting the planet alongside profits to develop the solutions that could help build a more sustainable future for travel.
Explore Worldwide’s Sustainability Specialist Hannah Methven commented, “Reducing carbon continues to be the backbone of our sustainability strategy, and our absolute priority, but alongside that we’re committed to mitigating what we’re unable to take out and investing in the technologies of the future, which might just hold the key to a greener and more sustainable future. We’re funding carbon removal projects with Klimate and have chosen to purchase SAF from Neste, the leading producer of SAF and a company deeply committed to sustainable practices.”
