Change of frequency of Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate Official Statistics: user engagement results
Published 13 May 2026
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As part of efforts to ensure continued relevance of Department for Transport statistics, DfT have taken the decision to change the publication cycle for statistics on the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate from the 2026 obligation year onwards.
The RTFO and SAF Mandate statistics disseminate data on their respective policies, allowing stakeholders and the public to track the progress of each. The new publication frequency will provide an early view of emerging trends within the obligation year itself (in the form of the first provisional), as well as a view of trends near to the closure of the application window (in the form of the second provisional) and then the final set of statistics.
The Department for Transport previously invited feedback on this change via our RTFO and SAF Mandate statistics pages in February 2026. The overall response rate to the exercise was low. We received only 2 responses, both from fuel industry organisations, which objected to the proposed change. The objections highlighted how the current frequency of provisional publication supports effective business planning and decision-making.
We have considered these concerns and are content that the change to the publication schedule can still meet these needs. In designing the new schedule, we have ensured that the two provisional releases are timed so as to provide maximum value for industry stakeholders, with an early view provided within the obligation year, as well as a view near to the closure of the application window.
The Code of Practice for Statistics emphasises that government statisticians should consider adjusting outputs where appropriate, to maintain public value. In assessing against the dimensions of quality and value, the department has concluded that the new publication schedule will enhance user value by minimising incomplete snapshots of data and we are therefore proceeding with this change.
For the 2026 obligation year, a first provisional release will be published in September 2026, with a second provisional release published in April 2027. The final data release will not be affected by this change and will continue to be published as per the previous schedule in November 2027. The same publication periods will be applied from the 2026 obligation year onwards. We will continue to review the full set of figures available on this topic and welcome further stakeholder feedback at environment.stats@dft.gov.uk. We will retain the ability to increase publication frequency again if needed in future.