Alyssa Danigelis
(Photo Credit: Christopher Michel, Flickr Creative Commons)
UK aviation industry executives signed a pledge in London this week to cut carbon emissions to zero by 2050. They also published roadmaps for reaching this new decarbonization target and for developing sustainable aviation fuels.
The industry representatives are all part of Sustainable Aviation, a coalition of UK airlines, airports, manufacturers, air navigation service providers, and business partners. Members include British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, EasyJet, Airbus, Boeing, Rolls Royce, Heathrow, and Air BP.
Their decarbonization roadmap is based on “a thorough review of the opportunities to cut aviation carbon emissions through smarter flight operations, new aircraft and engine technology, modernizing our airspace, the use of sustainable aviation fuels, and significant investment in carbon reductions through effective market-based policy measures.”
Specifically, the Sustainable Aviation coalition is asking the UK government to support decarbonization through the following:
- Improvements in aircraft and engine efficiency: Fund aerospace research and development in order to capitalize on aviation technology such as new propulsion systems, including hybrid and electric technology, and lighter, more efficient aircraft.
- Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF): Provide cross-departmental coordination to secure policies for developing and commercially deploying SAF, reform a requirement on transport fuel suppliers to ensure a percentage from sustainable sources, and actively drive a domestic SAF sector. A separate coalition roadmap estimates that the UK SAF production and global exports market could be worth as much as £2.7 billion — $3.59 billion — by 2035.
- Airspace modernization: Provide the policy and regulatory framework that enable the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to support the delivery of airspace modernization, balancing stakeholder priorities around carbon emissions and noise.
- Effective market-based policy measures: Work with the UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to support the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), set a clear long-term carbon dioxide target in 2022 that’s compatible with the Paris Accord and the 2018 IPCC report, and make progress on developing global carbon markets.
- Carbon capture and storage: Address residual UK aviation emissions by raising ambition on carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), helping at least two clusters become operational by 2025, and work with the UK aviation industry to ensure that UK carbon removal solutions are eligible for airline investment through CORSIA.
With those actions, the coalition says, the UK would be able to accommodate 70% growth in passengers through 2050 while reducing net emissions levels from slightly over 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year to zero.
As Susanna Twidale reported in Reuters, however, “Critics say offsetting emissions reduces incentives for the drastic emissions cuts needed to slow global warming and does not always bring the intended benefits; for instance, new trees may not grow as quickly as promised.” She also noted that there has been opposition to Heathrow expansion plans, including from climate protesters.
