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RESPONSIBLE TRAVELLER
European aviation industry asks for help to achieve net zero by 2050
Air demand reduction is a likelihood if collective action is not taken, say experts
The European aviation industry is calling for decisive action from both governments and the wider global aviation industry in order to reach its net zero target.
In a report issued in February, Europe’s aviation sector has detailed a way for it to reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 through a combination of four key measures: 1. Improvements in aircra and engine technologies could achieve emission reductions of 37 per cent 2. Using sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) could achieve emission reductions of 34 per cent 3. Implementing economic measures could achieve emission reductions of 8 per cent 4. Improvements in air tra c management (ATM) and aircra operations could achieve emission reductions of 6 per cent e report – Destination 2050 – A Route to Net Zero European Aviation – is described as its “ agship sustainability initiative”. It is based on a new, independent report commissioned from the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) and SEO Amsterdam Economics.
Since the four key measures are “subject to securing the required supporting policy and nancing framework at EU and national level”, the report was followed by a policy event with policymakers. e report assumes that European air passenger numbers are projected to grow on average by approximately 1.4 per cent per year between 2018 and 2050, “maintaining international competitiveness and aviation’s bene ts to society”, yet still charts a possible path to reach net zero CO2 emissions. Speaking at the policy event, policymakers described it as a rst step, but more detail would be needed. Peter Harrison, Executive Director at EU Climate Policy, said it was inevitable there would be price rises as a result of the move to net zero, and that there would be a reduction in demand as a result. Harrison said the aviation industry needed to start “recognising and internalising that business as usual is going to look very di erent in the future”.
“If you are doing policy for 2030 you need to look at the fundamentals… e impacts of climate change have only just started and I nd it impossible to believe that a decade from now, citizens will be sitting back and just accepting the status quo…. e industry needs to start taking demand reduction as a real possibility, and that will be the reality if we do not get moving on zero emissions technologies,” he added. e Destination 2050 initiative (visit www.destination2050.eu) is led by ve European aviation associations: 1. Airports Council International Europe (ACI EUROPE) 2. AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD Europe) 3. Airlines for Europe (A4E) 4. Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation (CANSO) 5. European Regions Airline Association (ERA)
“ e decisive and tangible actions set out in this roadmap are unprecedented,” said Olivier Jankovec, Director General at ACI EUROPE. “Here we have an entire sector not just committing to decarbonisation, but actually charting the path to make it happen and e ectively contribute to the EU’s Climate objectives and the Paris Agreement. Now we need the EU to deliver the policy and regulatory framework that will enable us to deliver net zero European Aviation by 2050. We therefore urge institutional stakeholders to respond to our call and now join the EU Pact for Sustainable Aviation we tabled last November. ”
New IATA boss says environmental issues “absolutely critical” for aviation
Willie Walsh, former CEO of both British Airways and IAG, and the new Director General of The International Air Transport Association (IATA), sees sustainability as “more important than ever”.
Speaking at the International Travel & Health Insurance Conferences (ITIC) ‘Leading the Tourism Recovery’ virtual conference in February, Walsh said that as a result of the pandemic, “some people will think that the emphasis on environmental issues may have eased a bit. I don’t think so. I think it’s going to be more important than eve”.
“I think the challenge for aviation and particularly airlines is greater than it has ever been. The industry is going to have to demonstrate that it has a credible path to sustainability in the medium and long term.” Walsh said one positive sustainability measure was that the COVID crisis had seen airlines retire many older aircraft, which means fleets will be significantly more e icient than in 2019. Nevertheless, it is “very important that everybody in the industry is honest about this because it’s a huge challenge”, he said. “The change in political leadership in the US will make it an area of focus in the US as well.”
The aviation industry is aware of the threat of regulation, particularly from European governments, and Walsh referenced that in his comments.
“This will be absolutely critical for all of us to be clear about our role, what it is we can do, to do everything possible within our control, and to be proactive. We can’t wait for legislation to be forced upon us, we should be embracing this, we should want to do better, for all of our sakes. I see this as absolutely critical.”
Speaking about his decision to end his retirement from the aviation industry to become IATA Director General and move to Geneva, Walsh said sustainability was “one of the things that spurred me on to take on the role at IATA”.
“I have been passionate about this within the aviation industry and I think we are going to have to do even better on this than we have done in the past.”
Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA
INTRODUCING CORSIA
AVIATION CURRENTLY contributes two to three per cent of global CO2 emissions, but this is forecast to rise.
CORSIA – the Carbon O setting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation – is one way airlines are seeking to o set their emissions as a first step towards becoming net zero by 2050.
CORSIA was devised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to take as a baseline the emissions that airlines recorded in 2019, and says that if airlines exceed these emissions, they have to buy carbon o sets equal to the amount they overshoot that baseline. The idea is that this incentivises airlines towards greater e iciencies and direct money into o set schemes.
Currently, 88 states representing more than 77 per cent of international aviation activity have agreed to participate voluntarily in the first phases of CORSIA. Participating Middle East states include Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Israel, Turkey and the UAE.
See the May edition of BTME for a guide to airline carbon o set programmes.
