Decarbonising 
aviation must not 
overlook Human Rights risks in the SAF sector 

 06 November 2025

As the aviation industry races to decarbonise, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has emerged as a front-runner. For SAF supply chains to scale up and avoid disruptions, businesses must look beyond carbon and address social risks associated with its production, say twentyfifty Senior Consultant Cora Morena Fritz and Account Manager David Bezagu. 

The aviation industry accounts for about 2.5% of the world’s carbon emissions. With air passenger traffic predicted to more than double by 2050, emissions are only set to increase. 

For responsible businesses looking to thrive in a more sustainable future, SAF has emerged as a leading solution. It has the potential to provide a cleaner alternative to kerosene by generating up to 80% less emissions in its life cycle compared to conventional fossil fuel, depending on the feedstock used. 

It is made from agricultural commodities, such as soy, sugarcane, oilseed (e.g., Jatropha, Camelina), as well as from waste materials, such as used cooking oil (UCO).  Due to its low carbon impact, it is considered a key tool for the aviation industry’s decarbonisation pathway. It is believed to contribute to around 65% of the reduction of emissions needed for the industry to achieve net-zero by 2050. 

SAF is also gaining pace in government priorities and mandates, with the UK, the EU and Brazil having set clear targets on SAF for the coming years. 

For aviation fuel to be called ‘SAF’ in the first place, it needs to be certified under the industry standards of the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). While the primary focus of those certifications is to properly account for carbon emission reductions and prevent environmental impacts from the production of biofuel, they also incorporate some social and human rights criteria. 

Similar to other sectors, those certifications have become the main tool for companies to get some level of reassurance regarding the environmental and social conditions in their SAF supply chain. 

Ground-level realities: the overlooked human cost of SAF production 

Despite its promising sustainability credentials, however, SAF has been linked to severe human rights issues, such as 

• land rights, with Indigenous Peoples being displaced to make room for palm oil production 

• working conditions in sugarcane supply chains where workers are being exposed to pesticides due to a lack of protection, living in unfit company accommodation that is unsanitary and lacks basic equipment 

• low wages that are often present in agricultural supply chains with predominantly manual labour

Many of these issues are already present in agricultural supply chains globally and are therefore also common for commodities used for SAF production. Some of the issues continue to exist due to opaque supply chains, caused by multiple layers of subcontracting like in the sugarcane industry in Brazil, for example, which create a lack of accountability across the supply chain.  

Pre-flight checklist: what business leaders must do now 

Companies that source, supply or invest in SAF, can be exposed to reputational, legal or potentially financial risks linked to these human rights issues. Our work with clients has shown that strong due diligence processes are needed to support business leaders in making informed decisions that prevent such risks in SAF supply chains. 

A starting point is for companies to understand the inherent human rights issues in the region the feedstock come from. For biomass feedstock, companies can investigate questions like: 

• What are conditions for agricultural workers like in this country? 

• Is deforestation a risk related to the biomass used for SAF in this country? 

• Are there known issues around land rights and land grabbing in this country affecting communities and indigenous peoples? 

Key for deeper due diligence is then to engage with suppliers and business partners directly to understand how raw materials are sourced and under which conditions. 

• Is good practice due diligence applied to identify and address human rights risks in the SAF supply chain? 

• Have Human Rights Impact Assessments been conducted to understand the context and root causes of potential human rights issues? 

• Have rightsholders and communities been engaged to address these risks? 

Implementing these practices takes time and resources. They are, however, crucial to complement CORSIA certifications, giving more assurance to companies that social and reputational risks are managed upstream in the supply chain.  

Destination: sustainable and just aviation fuel supply chains 

There is an opportunity for companies to creating a truly sustainable solution with SAF by putting social accountability onto the decarbonisation agenda of the aviation industry. 

Building on our 20 years of experience working across global commodity supply chains and implementing innovative due diligence mechanisms, we are looking forward to supporting the responsible growth of the SAF sector. 

Interested in finding out more about twentyfifty’s work? Contact us at info@twentyfifty.co.uk and we’ll put you in touch with our expert team