Ongoing emissions from
… offsets
When all sectors need to reduce their emissions to zero, the aviation industry buys/offsets the reductions of others in order to grow its own emissions. When the planet is already dangerously hot, offsets steal carbon drawdown needed to cool the planet to excuse further emissions.
• Jet.AI Debuts New Carbon Emissions Offset Platform
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2023-10-03/jetai-debuts-new-carbon-emissions-offset-platform
•DOE pushes carbon-offsetting strategy for aviation fuel
https://mb.com.ph/2023/10/3/doe-pushes-carbon-offsetting-strategy-for-aviation-fuel
• The Great Cash-for-Carbon Hustle
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023/10/23/the-great-cash-for-carbon-hustle
… greenwashed fuels and engines
‘SUSTAINABLE’ AVIATION FUELS
The aviation industry uses marketing greenwash and accounting tricks to mislead you into thinking that actual flight emissions from ‘Sustainable’ Aviation Fuel (SAF) are a fraction of those from fossil jet fuel. A jet never burns pure SAF, so a common 50:50 blend with fossil jet fuel doubles claimed emissions. And actual flight CO2 emissions are additionally more than claimed, by the amount of CO2 drawn down in making the fuel. Furthermore SAF still creates non-CO2 emissions twice as warming as actual flight CO2 emissions.
• Plane speaking – Is sustainable aviation fuel really green?
https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/environment/green-pulse-podcast-plane-speaking-is-sustainable-aviation-fuel-really-green
• How United and Other US Airlines Lost Momentum on Sustainable Jet Fuel
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-05/how-us-airlines-fell-behind-europe-on-sustainable-jet-fuel
• These 10 Airlines Are Putting Sustainability At The Forefront (& Why It Matters)
https://www.thetravel.com/most-sustainable-airlines-in-the-world/
• Masdar and Airbus partner to advance sustainable aviation
https://www.futurenetzero.com/2023/10/05/masdar-and-airbus-partner-to-advance-sustainable-aviation/
• Our love for travel burns deeply. Oil giants search for ‘green’ aviation solution
https://www.theage.com.au/world/middle-east/our-love-for-travel-burns-deeply-oil-giants-search-for-green-aviation-solution-20231005-p5ea54.html
• Planes powered by pig fat might still not reduce emissions
https://myflyright.com/blog/planes-powered-by-pig-fat-might-still-not-reduce-emissions
• Sustainable transport, infrastructure and fuels
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_23_4758
• Report highlights ‘significant’ hurdles associated with sustainable aviation fuel
https://www.flightglobal.com/engines/report-highlights-significant-hurdles-associated-with-sustainable-aviation-fuel/155319.article
• With 0.1% of fuel uptake, tapping into SAF for aviation’s net-zero goal remains uphill task
https://www.gulf-times.com/article/669879/business/with-01-of-fuel-uptake-tapping-into-saf-for-aviations-net-zero-goal-remains-uphill-task
• Scientists Find Sustainable Aviation Fuels Could Cut Emissions by up to 80%
https://www.techtimes.com/articles/297531/20231014/scientists-find-sustainable-aviation-fuels-cut-emissions.htm
• We could slash aviation emissions by 80% using sustainable fuels, say scientists
https://www.dpaonthenet.net/article/200845/We-could-slash-aviation-emissions-by-80–using-sustainable-fuels–say-scientists.aspx
• Airlines say they’ve found a route to climate-friendly flying
https://www.vox.com/climate/23922939/airline-united-climate-change-sustainable-fuel-emissions-offset-saf
• Norwegian to power 100 domestic flights in Denmark with SAF
https://www.businesstravelnewseurope.com/Air-Travel/Norwegian-to-power-100-domestic-flights-in-Denmark-with-SAF
• Microsoft is on pace to buy more clean jet fuel than most airlines
https://www.ajot.com/news/microsoft-is-on-pace-to-buy-more-clean-jet-fuel-than-most-airlines
• Research Suggests SAF Could Reduce Ultrafine Particles By 34%
https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/aircraft-propulsion/research-suggests-saf-could-reduce-ultrafine-particles-34
• Sustainable Aviation Fuels Sustainability Guide for Corporate Buyers
https://www.transportenvironment.org/discover/sustainable-aviation-fuels-sustainability-guide-for-corporate-buyers/
… delusional scenarios
NET ZERO 2050
Net zero emissions by 2050 allows ongoing emissions and subtracts from them carbon drawdown needed to cool an already dangerously hot planet
• Finding the right sustainability policies
https://airlines.iata.org/2023/10/03/finding-right-sustainability-policies
• Net zero aviation: the sky’s the limit
https://www.newstatesman.com/spotlight/sustainability/2023/10/net-zero-aviation-climate-crisis
• 2050 goal for net-zero carbon emissions in aviation ‘too optimistic’: Qatar Airways CEO
https://dohanews.co/2050-goal-for-net-zero-carbon-emissions-in-aviation-too-optimistic-qatar-airways-ceo/
• Rolls-Royce’s Technology Pathway To Net-Zero Emissions By 2050
https://simpleflying.com/rolls-royce-net-zero-technology-pathway-guide/
… growth in flights
• Aviation passengers to more than double by 2050 as industry targets net-zero
https://skiesmag.com/news/report-aviation-passengers-double-2050-industry-targets-net-zero/
PRIVATE JETS
• Investing in Bizav’s Net-zero Future
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2023-10-14/investing-bizavs-net-zero-future
• Analyst: Aviation’s ‘Supply Chain Woes’ Have a Silver Lining
https://aviationweek.com/shownews/nbaa/analyst-aviations-supply-chain-woes-have-silver-lining
• Business Execs Mindful of Aviation Carbon Footprint, New Airbus Study says
https://www.aviationtoday.com/2023/10/20/business-execs-mindful-of-aviation-carbon-footprint-new-airbus-study-says/
TAX PAYER SUBSIDIES
• Rishi Sunak cut air taxes and blocked climate levy after airline lobbying
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/dark-money-investigations/rishi-sunak-cut-aviation-tax-lobbying-airlines-block-climate-block-frequent-flyer-levy/
Reducing emissions
… marginal tech solutions
IT
• Aviation’s Enhanced Tech Response To Charting A Sustainable Flight
https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/aviations-enhanced-tech-response-charting-sustainable-flight
… alternate fuels
HYDROGEN
Hydrogen-powered aircraft will not have zero emissions, even if hydrogen is produced from renewable electricity, because it will still emit NOx and generate contrail cirrus that have a higher climate impact than CO2 today. The deployment of “green” hydrogen in aviation would require huge quantities of renewable electricity, which would deprive other sectors needing to decarbonise. Hydrogen will not be viable for medium and long-haul flights before 2050, much too late to tackle the climate emergency.
• Making hydrogen-powered flights a reality by 2035
https://www.internationalairportreview.com/article/188606/making-hydrogen-powered-flights-a-reality-by-2035/
• Japan to subsidize hydrogen fuel cell systems for electric aircraft
https://energynews.biz/japan-to-subsidize-hydrogen-fuel-cell-systems-for-electric-aircraft/
• Australian green hydrogen could help cut global carbon emissions, boost export earnings
https://www.australianresources.com.au/australian-green-hydrogen-could-help-cut-global-carbon-emissions-boost-export-earnings/
ELECTRIC BATTERIES
• Lilium’s innovative eVTOL targets regional aviation in its quest to curb emissions
https://www.fastcompany.com/90974108/liliums-innovative-evtol-targets-regional-aviation-in-its-quest-to-curb-emissions
… fiscal measures
FREQUENT FLYER LEVY
• Higher flying costs and frequent flyer levy backed by 89% of Brits to tackle climate crisis
https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/frequent-flyer-levy-flights-climate-b1937447.html
… staying grounded
• Why One Professor Stopped Flying to Help the Planet
https://now.tufts.edu/2023/10/12/why-one-professor-stopped-flying-help-planet
… alternative travel modes
RAIL
• UK’s first battery-powered fleet hits the tracks
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-67011369
… public awareness
PROTEST
• Oakland Airport expansion is a threat to climate change goals, environmental coalition warns
Oakland Airport expansion is a threat to climate change goals, environmental coalition warns
Climate emergency
• To Understand and Protect the Home Planet
https://mailchi.mp/caa/to-understand-and-protect-the-home-planet