The European Banking Federation, in a joint publication with UNEP FI, summarised takeaways from a workshop with EU policymakers, banks and industry on how to translate the EU Sustainable Transport Investment Plan into financeable projects for aviation and waterborne transport decarbonisation, particularly through scaling sustainable aviation and maritime fuels. The central message was that unlocking private finance will require stronger incentives, stable long-term demand signals and targeted de-risking, alongside regulatory clarity. The paper highlights the scale gap between the plan’s initial funding and the investment needed to meet EU fuel targets, noting that the plan envisages mobilising at least EUR 2.9 billion by 2027 while meeting the ReFuelEU Aviation and FuelEU Maritime targets would require around EUR 100 billion by 2035. Participants pointed to the need for predictable regulatory frameworks, including stable sustainable aviation fuel mandates, demand trajectories that support long-term offtake, and a broader policy toolkit alongside the EU Emissions Trading System for maritime, with more consistent implementation of Renewable Energy Directive III. On financing design, the publication underscores blended solutions such as double-sided auctions, carbon contracts for difference and ETS-linked funding streams to bridge cost gaps, and calls for expanded guarantees, grants, export credit support and public first-loss risk to crowd in capital for first-of-a-kind projects, infrastructure and retrofits, complemented by ecosystem approaches such as clusters and green shipping corridors. It also flags the importance of ensuring that cross-sector EU regulation, including financial regulation and supervisory expectations, supports the transition while maintaining prudential requirements. EBF and UNEP FI indicated they will continue convening dialogue between financial institutions, industry and policymakers as the Clean Industrial Deal, the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan and related initiatives are further developed.
European Banking Federation 2026-03-09
European Banking Federation and UNEP FI publish financing priorities to turn the EU Sustainable Transport Investment Plan into bankable aviation and maritime projects
The European Banking Federation and UNEP FI stressed the need for stronger incentives, stable demand signals, and regulatory clarity to finance the EU Sustainable Transport Investment Plan for aviation and maritime decarbonisation. The plan aims to mobilise EUR 2.9 billion by 2027, but achieving fuel targets requires around EUR 100 billion by 2035. The publication suggests blended financing solutions and expanded guarantees to bridge cost gaps and emphasizes the importance of supportive cross-sector EU regulation.