# Renewable diesel and SAF: Impact on the biosphere

Clean at the tailpipe, but what happens upstream?

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/hvo_saf/biosphere/

What this tab covers Effects on human, animal, plant, fungal and microbial life and on whole ecosystems: in the short term (construction and early years), medium term (operating life) and long term (decommissioning and legacy).

The fuels burn more cleanly than fossil fuels in use, so impacts lie upstream: land-use change for crop oils, competition for scarce waste oils, and biomass harvesting for gasification routes.
 Fossil jet fuel reference value (ICAO) 89 g CO2eq/MJ^[7](https://www.icao.int/sites/default/files/environmental-protection/CORSIA/Documents/CORSIA%20Eligible%20Fuels/ICAO-document-06-Default-Life-Cycle-Emissions-June-2025.pdf) Lowest ICAO default value (municipal waste FT) 5.2 g CO2eq/MJ^[7](https://www.icao.int/sites/default/files/environmental-protection/CORSIA/Documents/CORSIA%20Eligible%20Fuels/ICAO-document-06-Default-Life-Cycle-Emissions-June-2025.pdf) Highest ICAO default value (palm oil HEFA, no biogas capture) 96.6 g CO2eq/MJ^[7](https://www.icao.int/sites/default/files/environmental-protection/CORSIA/Documents/CORSIA%20Eligible%20Fuels/ICAO-document-06-Default-Life-Cycle-Emissions-June-2025.pdf) SAF share of jet fuel (2025) 0.6%^[6](https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2025-releases/2025-12-09-04/)

#### Effects over time

| Life affected | Short term | Medium term | Long term |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Humans**^[6](https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2025-releases/2025-12-09-04/) | Little evidence of effect in the sources reviewed. | Higher fuel costs: the 2025 SAF premium cost airlines about USD 2.9 billion for 1.9 Mt of fuel. | Little evidence of effect in the sources reviewed. |
| **Animals**^[7](https://www.icao.int/sites/default/files/environmental-protection/CORSIA/Documents/CORSIA%20Eligible%20Fuels/ICAO-document-06-Default-Life-Cycle-Emissions-June-2025.pdf) | Habitat loss where land is cleared for oil crops; not quantified in the sources reviewed. | Little quantified evidence in the sources reviewed. | Little quantified evidence in the sources reviewed. |
| **Plants**^[7](https://www.icao.int/sites/default/files/environmental-protection/CORSIA/Documents/CORSIA%20Eligible%20Fuels/ICAO-document-06-Default-Life-Cycle-Emissions-June-2025.pdf) | Natural vegetation may be cleared where crop oils expand. | ICAO estimates indirect land-use change of 36.6 g CO2eq/MJ for palm oil SAF and 20.7-23.9 for soybean and rapeseed. | Camelina grown in rotation has negative land-use change (-11.5 g CO2eq/MJ). |
| **Fungi and soil life**^[7](https://www.icao.int/sites/default/files/environmental-protection/CORSIA/Documents/CORSIA%20Eligible%20Fuels/ICAO-document-06-Default-Life-Cycle-Emissions-June-2025.pdf) | Little evidence of effect in the sources reviewed. | Little evidence of effect in the sources reviewed. | Little evidence of effect in the sources reviewed. |
| **Ecosystems**^[5](https://www.iea.org/reports/renewables-2025/renewable-transport)^[7](https://www.icao.int/sites/default/files/environmental-protection/CORSIA/Documents/CORSIA%20Eligible%20Fuels/ICAO-document-06-Default-Life-Cycle-Emissions-June-2025.pdf) | Feedstock demand: fats and oils are already in high demand, and growth would need an extra 125 Mt of feedstock in the IEA accelerated case. | Waste and residue routes cut life-cycle emissions by about 84-94% against fossil jet (calculated from 5.2-13.9 against 89 g CO2eq/MJ). | Palm oil SAF from mills without biogas capture (96.6 g CO2eq/MJ) can exceed fossil jet. |

#### How the effects are reduced

Choosing wastes, residues and rotation crops avoids most land-use change; ICAO and the EU apply sustainability criteria and give these feedstocks lower default values. Capturing biogas at palm oil mills cuts palm HEFA from 96.6 to 74.0 g CO2eq/MJ. Low-carbon hydrogen would cut emissions from the hydrotreating step. Expanding gasification and alcohol routes broadens feedstock beyond scarce oils.

#### Sources

1. [Renewables 2025: Renewable transport](https://www.iea.org/reports/renewables-2025/renewable-transport) International Energy Agency, 2025
2. [SAF Production Growth Rate is Slowing Down, Essential to Correct Course Ahead of e-SAF Mandates (press release, 9 December 2025)](https://www.iata.org/en/pressroom/2025-releases/2025-12-09-04/) IATA, 2025
3. [CORSIA Default Life Cycle Emissions Values for CORSIA Eligible Fuels (ICAO document 06)](https://www.icao.int/sites/default/files/environmental-protection/CORSIA/Documents/CORSIA%20Eligible%20Fuels/ICAO-document-06-Default-Life-Cycle-Emissions-June-2025.pdf) International Civil Aviation Organization, 2025

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/hvo_saf/index.md)
- [Energy overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/hvo_saf/energy/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/hvo_saf/correlation/index.md)
- [Efficiency](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/hvo_saf/efficiency/index.md)
- [Techniques](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/hvo_saf/techniques/index.md)
- [Resources and labour](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/hvo_saf/resources/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/hvo_saf/overview/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/hvo_saf/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/hvo_saf/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/hvo_saf/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/hvo_saf/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/hvo_saf/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/hvo_saf/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/hvo_saf/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/hvo_saf/characteristics/index.md)
- [Emissions](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/hvo_saf/emissions/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/hvo_saf/links/index.md)