Domestic SAF Development Also Key to Energy Security, Economic Prosperity  

Geoff Tauvette saw the gap before most. After decades in aviation fuel and sustainability, he realized no one was steering Canada’s approach to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). In 2022, he helped launch the Canadian Council for Sustainable Aviation Fuels (C-SAF) to fill that void — not as a typical industry association, but as a strategic, cross-sector coalition built to accelerate domestic SAF development. 

That leadership and vision were recognized this year with the Canadian Fuels Association’s 2025 Collaboration and Partnership Award, honouring C-SAF’s model and Geoff’s work in aligning industry, suppliers, and policymakers to build a competitive Canadian SAF ecosystem. 

“You can’t develop a SAF industry in silos,” says Geoff. “We built C-SAF to bring together the full value chain — airlines, refiners, feedstock producers, airports, governments. Everyone needs to be at the table.”

That strategic alignment has already delivered real progress.  

C-SAF’s national SAF roadmap set an ambitious but achievable target of one billion litres produced in Canada by 2030. The Council’s ongoing collaboration with CFA — especially in joint advocacy and regional feasibility studies — has helped present a unified voice to government, industry, and investors. 

“CFA brought depth on fuels, and we brought the aviation lens,” says Geoff. “Together, we’ve made the case for why this industry matters — not just for emissions, but for economic opportunity and energy security.” 

Still, the path forward will require long-term vision and the necessary policy framework.  

“This is more than a fuel transition — it’s about building a future-proof aviation industry, rooted in Canadian innovation, feedstocks, and talent,” Geoff says. 

He sees SAF not just as a climate solution, but as a “national economic opportunity” — one that can energize rural communities, strengthen domestic fuel security, and position Canada as a global leader. 

“We have the ingredients. We can be competitive globally. But we need to act with intention — and we need policies that back that vision,” he says. 

For C-SAF, the CFA’s 2025 award is more than a milestone — it’s a signal that strategic, cross-sector partnership is not just working, but essential to Canada’s clean energy future. 

“If we do this right,” Geoff says, “Canada doesn’t just participate in the SAF transition. We lead it.”