As Europe prepares to unveil its Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP), a coalition of leading clean transport innovators is urging the EU to prioritize zero-carbon technologies in shipping and aviation—two of the most difficult sectors to decarbonize.
In a letter addressed to European Commissioners and the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU, ten companies and industry groups coordinated by the SASHA Coalition warned that without targeted policy support, Europe risks falling behind in developing scalable zero-emission maritime and aviation solutions. The signatories, including Ecojet, ZeroAvia, ZULU Associates, MONTE, Hybrid Air Vehicles, LH2 Shipping, Condor, Beyond Aero, and the Zero Emissions Ship Technology Association (ZESTAs), represent innovators advancing hydrogen, fuel-cell, electric, and wind-propulsion systems.
While the European Commission has dedicated significant funding to battery-electric and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) pathways, the signatories argue that technologies capable of achieving full zero-emission operations—such as hydrogen combustion, fuel-cell propulsion, and electric-hybrid systems—remain largely unsupported. This regulatory imbalance, they claim, has slowed the development of these technologies and the supporting infrastructure needed to deploy them at scale.
The shipping and aviation sectors together account for around 8% of global CO₂ emissions, according to the International Energy Agency. Despite the EU’s commitments under the Green Deal and the Fit for 55 package, incentives for fully zero-carbon systems lag far behind those for transitional solutions.
The coalition is urging the STIP to create a clear regulatory environment that encourages investment and supports commercial deployment. It calls for zero-carbon aircraft and vessels to be recognized as strategic technologies and for binding targets to be introduced requiring a proportion of inter-EU routes to run on zero-carbon systems by 2040. The letter also stresses the need to improve the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation to require hydrogen refueling and electric charging at major ports and airports, allocate a dedicated Hydrogen Bank budget to guarantee renewable hydrogen availability for aviation, and establish regional testbeds to demonstrate these technologies under real-world conditions.
The timing of this call reflects growing frustration with slow international progress. The International Maritime Organization recently delayed a vote on its Net Zero Framework, while the International Civil Aviation Organization’s CORSIA offset mechanism has been widely criticized as inadequate for achieving deep decarbonization.
The SASHA Coalition is also advocating for financial mechanisms to de-risk and accelerate investment, including contracts for difference to stabilize renewable hydrogen e-fuel prices and an expansion of the EU Emissions Trading System to generate additional funding. It further supports a tightly regulated book-and-claim system for e-kerosene made from renewable hydrogen, provided it operates exclusively within the EU and under strict oversight to ensure traceability.
Stay updated on the latest in energy! Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X for real-time news and insights. Don’t miss out on exclusive interviews and webinars—subscribe to our YouTube channel today! Join our community and be part of the conversation shaping the future of energy.
