Ireland’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Policy Roadmap

Ireland published its first national Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Policy Roadmap in August 2025, with the objective of supporting aviation connectivity in a sustainable manner.

The Programme for Government acknowledges the importance of the aviation sector and reaffirms the Government’s commitment to creating an environment which will increase connectivity, and foster trade and investment in a sustainable manner. The inclusion of a specific commitment to develop a SAF Policy Roadmap in the Programme for Government acknowledges the pivotal contribution that SAFs can make towards mitigating emissions from the sector.

The SAF Policy Roadmap, in step with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, aims to help to enable Ireland’s aviation sector to meet the significant emissions reductions required between now and 2050.

The Roadmap promotes the transition to renewable energy sources, specifically highlighting Ireland's potential to produce SAF using hydrogen and its planned development of renewable energy, particularly from offshore wind (SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy).

It identifies emerging market opportunities in SAF innovation, supply chain development, and infrastructure investments (SDG 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure).

SAF is positioned as cornerstone of Ireland’s strategy to meet national and international aviation climate goals, specifically targeting the reduction of lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions (SDG 13 Climate Action).

Key to development was that stakeholder engagement was undertaken in a purposeful and methodical manner, via extensive bilateral meetings, our engagement with international bodies and the European Commission, and the establishment of the national SAF Advisory Body (formerly known as the SAF Task Force), which fosters collaboration between government departments and agencies, airlines, airports, air freight carriers, academia, representative bodies and other stakeholders with an interest in SAF (SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals).

To contact the Department of Transport regarding SAF policy development, you can email DOTSustainableAviationPolicyDivision@transport.gov.ie or write to:

Sustainable Aviation Policy Division

Department of Transport

Leeson Lane, Dublin, D02 TR60

To assist in the development of the SAF Policy Roadmap, the Department of Transport established the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Task Force in December of 2023, with representatives from 27 organisations, including key Government stakeholders, industry and academia.

Following the publication of Ireland’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Policy Roadmap in August 2025, the Task Force was subsequently reconstituted as the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Advisory Group to assist in progressing implementation of the SAF Policy Roadmap actions.