L.A. County is preparing for storms and possible floods during El Niño. Crews are digging massive amounts of accumulated sediment out of the county's dams.
Los Angeles Times
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The world is entering a period in which abnormal water supplies are becoming the norm, with river flows, groundwater and glaciers all showing signs of sustained disruption, the UN weather agency warned on Thursday. Read the full story, “As freshwater reserves shrink, countries must prepare for a new water reality”, on globalissues.org →
Volatility is increasingly dominating boardroom discussions. Escalating conflict in the Middle East, shifting trade policies, and wider geopolitical tensions are sending repeated shocks through international markets. These disruptions are exposing the fragility of global supply chains and of the energy systems that keep them moving. Aviation offers a clear example. Modern commerce depends on air networks to move essential cargo and connect people and businesses across borders. When geopolitical events threaten global oil supplies, jet fuel quickly becomes a critical vulnerability. The effects ripple across the economy: manufacturers face delays in receiving vital components, while retailers see high-value inventory held up far from its destination. To reduce aviation’s environmental impact, the industry has developed sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF. Made from renewable feedstocks such as used cooking oil and agricultural waste, SAF can be used in existing aircraft and fuel infrastructure when blended with conventional jet fuel. Yet many corporate teams still see it primarily as a means of meeting climate targets. That narrow framing overlooks a significant strategic opportunity. Producing renewable jet fuel from domestic waste and residue streams can strengthen economic resilience by diversifying fuel supplies. A more localized production model can reduce reliance on vulnerable international chokepoints while supporting a more distributed energy system. In this context, waste-based SAF is not only a climate solution; it can also help businesses and economies better withstand future geopolitical disruption. FROM GREEN FUEL TO RESILIENCE The climate case for SAF is familiar to industry specialists, though less so to many business leaders. Made from waste and renewable feedstocks, SAF can offer significantly lower lifecycle emissions than conventional jet fuel. It is also expected to play a central role in aviation’s pathway to net zero. But SAF is more than a climate solution. When produced from domestic waste and residue streams, it can perform like conventional jet fuel while diversifying a region’s energy supply and retaining local supply. That combination—drop-in compatibility and local production—should matter to boards as much as it does to sustainability teams. In an earlier Fast Company Impact Council article , I argued that not all “green” jet fuel is equal. Credible SAF should meet three tests: It should use genuine waste or residue feedstocks, deliver verified lifecycle emissions reductions, and create circular local benefits. Today, a fourth test is needed: Does this fuel reduce exposure to global supply shocks by building local-to-local energy systems? A LOCAL-TO-LOCAL MODEL Through this lens, waste-based SAF becomes both a climate tool and an energy security asset. A resilient local-to-local model rests on three principles: 1. Local feedstock: Agricultural residues, used cooking oil, and some waste streams are available in nearly every region. Converting them into certified SAF can create domestic fuel resources without competing with food production or requiring additional land. 2. Regional production: Locating conversion facilities near feedstock sources and aviation hubs can reduce dependence on imported jet fuel and distant refineries. It also builds regional industrial capability that is less exposed to disruption than long, single-route supply chains. 3. Circular co-benefits: Converting waste into fuel can reduce local pollution, relieve landfill pressure, and create economic opportunities for farmers, collectors, and small businesses. Those benefits make the transition more durable than one based solely on imported fuel. Waste-to-fuel systems can operate at scale, even within complex regional and global supply chains. One example is EcoCeres’ work in Hong Kong where we developed processes that convert used cooking oil, agricultural waste, and other residues into renewable fuels at industrial scale, including through a large-scale facility in mainland China. The underlying logic applies everywhere. Regions that depend heavily on imported fossil jet fuel can reduce that exposure by investing in waste-based SAF capacity and the infrastructure needed to bring fuel from local producers to local airports. WHY LEADERS SHOULD CARE For many business leaders, SAF remains a technical issue for airline operations teams and sustainability specialists. It represents a small share of today’s jet-fuel supply and usually costs more than conventional fuel. As a result, it does not yet feature prominently in boardroom discussions about geopolitical risk. This separation is risky. Net-zero commitments linked to aviation must also account for the resilience of the fuel supply behind them. A climate strategy that depends on fuel unavailable during a crisis is not a complete resilience strategy. Boards and ESG teams should ask: What is the emissions profile of the fuels we rely on? How exposed are we to single points of failure in global energy supply? If the answer to the second question is “highly exposed,” SAF belongs at the center of the energy security conversation, not at the edge of a climate plan. Conversations are only the starting point. Leaders can use these three strategies for moving energy security discussions forward. 1. Build energy security into climate strategies . Assess low-carbon fuels not only by their emissions reductions, but also by their ability to diversify supply and reduce exposure to geopolitical shocks. 2. Support regional, waste-based SAF projects through procurement . Long-term commitments from airlines, logistics companies, and corporate buyers can help unlock investment in facilities that turn local waste into local fuel. 3. Work with policymakers to build resilient infrastructure . That means supporting systems for feedstock collection, production, certification, and distribution, alongside regulations that reward verified lifecycle performance. FINAL THOUGHTS Aviation’s climate plan and its energy security plan should not be separate documents. They should be one and the same. Treating waste-based SAF as a resilience tool, built on local resources, regional production, and circular value chains, can help protect both the climate and the global economy from the next fuel shock. Matti Lievonen is the CEO of EcoCeres.
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