2 Jun '25

Newslinks: May 2025

June 2, 2025

NEWS

Ongoing emissions from

… 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.

• The ‘Green’ Aviation Fuel That Would Increase Carbon Emissions
https://e360.yale.edu/features/corn-soy-biofuel-aviation-congress

• Sustainable Aviation Fuel Market worth $25.62 billion by 2030
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/sustainable-aviation-fuel-market-worth-140100007.html

• U.S. sustainable aviation fuel production takes off as new capacity comes online
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=65204

• Sustainable aviation fuel plans under fire over crop emissions
https://trellis.net/article/sustainable-aviation-fuel-plans-under-fire-over-crop-emissions/

• United Airlines Invests in Twelve to Scale Carbon-Transforming Sustainable Aviation Fuel
https://carboncredits.com/united-airlines-invests-in-twelve-for-sustainable-aviation-fuel/

• Particle emissions, Air Quality and Climate Impact related to Fuel Composition and Engine Cycle
https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101192334

• Singapore Airlines Takes Bold and Decisive Action in Aviation Sustainability by Securing Landmark SAF Agreements with Neste and World Energy
https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/singapore-airlines-takes-bold-and-decisive-action-in-aviation-sustainability-by-securing-landmark-saf-agreements-with-neste-and-world-energy/

• Biofuels Fact Sheet
https://stay-grounded.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/SG-factsheet-Biofuels-2025.pdf

• Boost for British green aviation fuel production to support jobs and lift off emerging industry
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/boost-for-british-green-aviation-fuel-production-to-support-jobs-and-lift-off-emerging-industry

• UK Government boosts sustainable aviation fuel with new measures
https://travelradar.aero/uk-government-boosts-sustainable-aviation-fuel-with-new-measures/

• America’s Biggest Greenhouse Gas Polluter Is Working to Go Green
https://www.newsweek.com/americas-biggest-greenhouse-gas-polluter-working-go-green-2074677

• $25+ BN Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Market Forecasts to 2030: Increasing Focus on Aircraft Modernization & Advancements in Feedstock Processing and Refining Technologies
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/05/26/3087937/0/en/25-BN-Sustainable-Aviation-Fuel-SAF-Market-Forecasts-to-2030-Increasing-Focus-on-Aircraft-Modernization-Advancements-in-Feedstock-Processing-and-Refining-Technologies.html

• What is sustainable aviation fuel, and why are we not using it already?
https://www.unsw.edu.au/newsroom/news/2025/05/sustainable-aviation-fuel-reduction-aircraft-greenhouse-gas-emissions

• Strategic productive arrangements to leverage greenhouse gas emissions mitigation in the production of sustainable aviation fuels in Brazil
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352550925001216

AUSTRALIA

• Virgin Australia and Boeing release report on Sustainable Aviation Fuel accounting by independent advisory firm
https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/newsroom/2025/5/virgin-australia-boeing-release-report-on-saf-accounting/

• Virgin Australia And Boeing Release Report On SAF Accounting By Independent Advisory Firm
https://biodieselmagazine.com/articles/virgin-australia-and-boeing-release-report-on-saf-accounting-by-independent-advisory-firm

• Virgin Australia and Boeing release SAF report
https://biofuels-news.com/news/virgin-australia-and-boing-release-saf-report/

• SAF takes flight at Australian airport
https://carbon-pulse.com/397201/

• Australia’s largest import of sustainable aviation fuel lands in Sydney
https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/australias-largest-import-of-sustainable-aviation-fuel-lands-in-sydney/

• Make international SAF eligible in Australia’s Safeguard Mechanism, aviation giants argue
https://carbon-pulse.com/401597/

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.

• The University of Manchester Advances Zero-Emission Hydrogen Aviation
https://fuelcellsworks.com/2025/05/09/hydrogen/the-university-of-manchester-advances-zero-emission-hydrogen-aviation

E-FUEL

• Crossroads for carbon capture?
https://www.ftm.eu/articles/norway-carbon-capture-landmark-project

ELECTRIC

• New Fuel Cell Could Enable Electric Aviation
https://fuelcellsworks.com/2025/05/28/energy-innovation/new-fuel-cell-could-enable-electric-aviation

… 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.

• Tamarack Aerospace Launches Carbon Offset Option
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2025-04-29/tamarack-aerospace-launches-carbon-offset-option

… industry growth

DODGING TARGETS

• Air NZ Sets New Emissions Pathway After Dropping 2030 Target
https://sustainabilitymag.com/articles/air-nz-sets-new-emissions-pathway-after-dropping-2030-target

• Clean Aviation Revises Timeline To Reflect Industry Goals
https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/emerging-technologies/clean-aviation-revises-timeline-reflect-industry-goals

• Aviation industry is ‘failing dramatically’ on climate, insiders say
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/may/06/aviation-industry-failing-dramatically-on-climate-insiders-say

• Aviation Industry “Failing Dramatically” on Climate, Insiders Say
https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2025/05/aviation-airline-industry-climate-emissions-failure-report/

• Europe’s top 10 most polluting airlines revealed in new report calling for carbon market review
https://www.euronews.com/green/2025/05/01/europes-top-10-most-polluting-airlines-revealed-in-new-report-calling-for-carbon-market-re

AIRPORTS

• Campaigners challenge Luton Airport expansion plan
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cqx4x8jwqd7o

• Technology Transformation Becomes Mission Critical for the Aviation Industry
https://www.act-news.com/news/technology-transformation-becomes-mission-critical-for-the-aviation-industry/

… 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

• Lufthansa Sets Bold Climate Goals with Emissions Cut by 2030, Carbon Neutral by 2050
https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/lufthansa-sets-bold-climate-goals-with-emissions-cut-by-2030-carbon-neutral-by-2050/

• The Future of Aviation: Driving Growth and Sustainability through Certification
https://www.iata.org/en/publications/newsletters/iata-knowledge-hub/the-future-of-aviation-driving-growth-and-sustainability-through-certification/

• Aviation sustainability: time to turn words into action
https://centreforaviation.com/analysis/reports/aviation-sustainability-time-to-turn-words-into-action-718757

• Next Stop, Net Zero: 500 ISCC CORSIA Certificates Have Taken Off!
https://www.iscc-system.org/news/next-stop-net-zero-500-iscc-corsia-certificates-have-taken-off/

TECH FIXES

• Is air travel about to get greener? Our study shows how ‘coopetition’ is helping aircraft companies tackle sustainability
https://theconversation.com/is-air-travel-about-to-get-greener-our-study-shows-how-coopetition-is-helping-aircraft-companies-tackle-sustainability-256632

• Keeping sustainability on the agenda
https://www.aerosociety.com/news/keeping-sustainability-on-the-agenda/

• Vueling backs MicroTau’s shark skin inspired tech to help shave emissions by 4%
https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/vueling-microtau-shark-skin-aircraft

EMISSIONS TRADING SCHEMES

• Reducing emissions from aviation
https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/transport-decarbonisation/reducing-emissions-aviation_en

Reducing emissions

… with alternative fuels

PLASMA ELECTRIC

• The End of Jet Fuel: Next-Generation Engine Uses Electricity Alone to Generate Thrust in Historic Aerospace Breakthrough
https://www.sustainability-times.com/research/the-end-of-jet-fuel-next-generation-engine-uses-electricity-alone-to-generate-thrust-in-historic-aerospace-breakthrough/

… with alternative flight paths