In a foreword to the strategy, Aviation Minister Keir Mather said the Government is committed to delivering cleaner, greener transport while maintaining the economic benefits that aviation brings through connectivity, trade, jobs and investment. He described SAF as central to the decarbonisation of aviation and highlighted the UK’s ambition to remain a global leader in the transition to more sustainable flying.
The RCM is designed to provide long-term revenue certainty for SAF producers and investors, helping to unlock investment in first-of-a-kind production facilities across the UK. The mechanism aims to reduce financial risks associated with SAF production and support the growth of a competitive domestic industry.
The announcement follows the introduction of the UK SAF Mandate in 2025, which created demand for sustainable fuels, and the passage of the SAF Bill, which received Royal Assent in March 2026, providing the legal framework for the new scheme.
The Government said the proposed approach has been shaped through extensive engagement with industry stakeholders and will help capture economic value within the UK, strengthen energy security and support the development of high-skilled green jobs.
The RCM forms part of a wider package of measures to decarbonise aviation, including airspace modernisation, investment in low and zero-emission aircraft, carbon pricing, research into non-CO₂ impacts, support through the Low Carbon Fuels Fund, and the DfT-backed SAF Clearing House.
Ministers say the combined measures will help build a resilient UK SAF industry, support net-zero aviation ambitions and deliver economic growth while protecting consumers from excessive costs during the transition.
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