ALTA issues recommendations for advancing sustainable aviation in Latin America and Caribbean
Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) released (28-Jan-2025) the 'Route to Sustainability in Latin America and the Caribbean' report, highlighting progress, challenges and essential strategies for understanding how the region can achieve its sustainability goals. The report offers recommendations for advancing sustainable aviation in the region, including:
- Promoting multiple pathways to decarbonisation: Emphasising a diversified strategy that includes sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production, operational efficiency improvements and the development of new technologies;
- Establishing a regulatory framework with clear and consistent goals: Recommendations include implementing carbon schemes to offset emissions, providing fiscal incentives instead of cost-increasing mandates and ensuring transparency in carbon credit usage under the CORSIA programme;
- Ensuring sustainable growth to enhance regional competitiveness;
- Specific recommendations for SAF development:
- Collaborative investment funds;
- Promoting infrastructure investment;
- Developing a favourable regulatory environment;
- Supporting innovation in feedstock development.
ALTA CEO José Ricardo Botelho said: "This study provides a detailed analysis of the region's unique characteristics, which differ significantly from other parts of the world and therefore require tailored approaches and customised solutions to address sustainability challenges. In addition to highlighting the progress already made, this material offers a solid foundation for engaging with authorities, aligning goals and processes, attracting investments and implementing strategies that enable the sector to advance in an integrated and sustainable manner". [more - original PR]
Background ✨
ALTA reported that Latin America's airlines contributed 4.8% of cumulative CO2 emissions from 2013 to 2023, highlighting the need for region-specific mitigation strategies1. SAF production in the region faces challenges due to high costs, and there is currently no local SAF production2 3. A new SAF plant in Paraguay is expected in 2025, but its output is pre-sold outside the region3. Collaboration and investment incentives are crucial to overcoming these challenges4 5.