Qantas grows SAF Coalition with new corporate members

Australian flag carrier Qantas has expanded its coalition of corporate clients dedicated to increasing the use sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) to power its flights, following the addition of eight new members.

Perth-based mining giant Fortescue together with consulting firms Accenture and McKinsey & Company have joined the coalition as ‘partners’ and will pay a “premium” to reduce about 1,000 tonnes of carbon emissions by contributing to the cost of SAF, instead of using carbon offsets.

Commonwealth Bank, ING Australia, Deloitte, IMC and Raytheon Australia have also joined as ‘members’, contributing funds to reduce between 400 and 600 tonnes of carbon emissions.

These additional members and partners join the likes Australia Post, BCG and Woodside, which are among the five inaugural partners that launched the coalition with Qantas in late 2022.

As part of the coalition, corporates can support the scaling of SAF under a ‘book and claim’ methodology and, according to the carrier, capture the environmental benefits “even if the fuel does not flow directly in the planes they fly on”.

The carrier said the coalition is “aligned with” guidance from the Science-Based Targets Initiatives and currently contributes to the incremental cost of up to 10 million litres of SAF sourced by Qantas at London Heathrow airport.

“Our corporate programme is one of the many levers we’re exploring to manage the higher cost of SAF while we continue to advocate for and invest in local production,” said Andrew Parker, chief sustainability officer at Qantas Group.

“We’re also working with industry partners to invest in local technologies and projects that will help the sector reach its net zero targets, drive economic growth, create thousands of green jobs and secure Australia’s domestic fuel security,” he said.

The carrier has been purchasing SAF out of London since 2022 and currently also has ‘contracts in place’ to source the alternative aviation fuel from the Californian hubs of Los Angeles and San Francisco.