London, UK: The Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI), founded by His Majesty King Charles III in 2020 when he was Prince of Wales, has appointed Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, as the new CEO Champion of its flagship Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Pathfinder Initiative.

Griffiths’ appointment signals a global push to accelerate aviation’s journey towards reducing emissions, leveraging industry expertise from the world’s busiest international airport.

As the urgency to tackle aviation’s climate impact rises, SAF is recognised as the most viable near-term solution, capable of cutting flight emissions by up to 80%. Yet today, SAF makes up less than 1% of global jet fuel supply. The SMI's Pathfinder Initiative unites key players across aviation, energy, finance, and policy to drive transformative change in the industry.

The SAF Pathfinder Initiative is focused on:

  • Mobilising investment and demand signals to unlock production
  • Advocating for harmonised global policies and incentives
  • Enabling critical infrastructure upgrades
  • Driving collaboration across the supply chain to overcome production and cost barriers

Paul Griffiths commented: “I’m honoured to take on this role at such a critical time for our industry. Sustainable Aviation Fuel is one of the most important levers we have to decarbonise flight, and I’m committed to accelerating its availability and adoption across the sector.

“Together with the oneDXB Sustainability Alliance, a multi-stakeholder initiative led by Dubai Airports, we aim to drive decarbonisation, innovation, and resilience across both Dubai International (DXB) and Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International (DWC) through coordinated efforts and shared responsibility.”

Under Paul Griffiths, Dubai Airports has achieved Level 4 “Transformation” accreditation from Airports Council International (ACI), a recognition reserved for the top 5% of airports worldwide. This milestone reflects not only Dubai Airports’ sustainability strategy but also the strength of collaboration with partners, , to pioneering biodiesel ground fleets, radically cutting emissions, and launching multiple green infrastructure projects at Dubai International (DXB).

With the aviation sector’s 2050 net zero goal approaching, Griffiths’ leadership aims to spur decisive action and scale up SAF adoption worldwide.

Jennifer Jordan-Saifi, CEO of Sustainable Markets Initiative said: “We view Sustainable Aviation Fuel as a powerful catalyst, not only for decarbonising aviation, but also for driving the global expansion of sustainable technologies and investment. With Paul Griffiths’ proven leadership and commitment to innovation, SMI is set to accelerate SAF adoption at scale and lead the way towards a more sustainable future for aviation.”

Media contacts

Jilly Hurley, Chief Communications Officer
Email: j.hurley@sustainable-markets.org

SMI Communications Partner
Email: sodali@sustainable-markets.org

About the Sustainable Markets Initiative

The Sustainable Markets Initiative (SMI) is the world’s go-to private sector organization for sustainable transition; characterized by our unique brand of 'private sector diplomacy'.

With the vision of our founder, His Majesty King Charles III, and our unique convening power, the SMI facilitates action between world leaders and CEOs to position sustainability at the heart of global value creation.

Together, we seek to mobilize the trillions of dollars required to achieve a sustainable future. Investment at this scale requires global systems-level change with a default sustainable orientation across markets, industries and supply chains. Here, our mandates, the Terra Carta and Astra Carta, provide practical private sector trajectories.

The SMI believes that with bold ambition and courageous leadership, we can seize a new era of global prosperity that will last for generations to come. We call this ‘The Growth Story of Our Time’. Read more: www.sustainable-markets.org