Reducing rather than stopping emissions is not an excuse to keep flying.
Ongoing emissions from…
Demand growth
• Private-jet emissions found to rise more than commercial planes
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-26/private-jet-emissions-found-to-rise-more-than-commercial-planes
Net zero 2050 target
• Airlines are already falling behind in their drive to cut carbon emissions to net-zero by mid-century
https://www.forbes.com/sites/danielreed/2021/05/26/airlines-are-already-falling-behind-in-their-drive-to-cut-carbon-emissions-to-near-zero-by-mid-century/?sh=1b80be9b1ad1
• Wolfgang Knorr: What lies beneath – on the latest net zero scenario by the International Energy Agency
https://braveneweurope.com/wolfgang-knorr-what-lies-beneath-on-the-latest-net-zero-scenario-by-the-international-energy-agency
Fuels greenwash
‘SUSTAINABLE’ AVIATION FUEL
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.
• A big climate problem with few easy solutions: Planes
https://indianexpress.com/article/world/a-big-climate-problem-with-few-easy-solutions-planes-7336389/
• Lawmakers seek to subsidise sustainable aviation fuel production
https://www.flightglobal.com/strategy/lawmakers-seek-to-subsidise-sustainable-aviation-fuel-production/143845.article
• New legislation could give tax benefits to US airlines for using sustainable aviation fuel
https://www.aviationtoday.com/2021/05/21/new-legislation-give-tax-benefits-us-airlines-using-sustainable-aviation-fuel/
• U.S. House panel discusses low-carbon fuel with airline, biofuel industries
https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/us-house-panel-discuss-low-carbon-fuel-with-airline-biofuel-industries-2021-05-04/
• U.S. lawmakers to propose tax credit for sustainable aviation fuel
https://www.reuters.com/business/sustainable-business/us-lawmakers-propose-tax-credit-sustainable-aviation-fuel-2021-05-20/
• Resist the siren call of aviation biofuels
https://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/2021/resist-the-siren-call-of-aviation-biofuels/
HYDROGEN FUEL
Burning hydrogen fuel still creates non-CO2 emissions twice as warming as avoided flight CO2 emissions, and generating enough CO2 emissions-free hydrogen will use more than all the renewable electricity currently generated.
• Zero-emission, guilt-free flights from Hong Kong to Da Nang may soon be possible
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3132659/zero-emission-guilt-free-flights-hong-kong-da-nang-may-soon-be
• Hydrogen cars failed to deliver. Investors hope planes are different.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/hydrogen-cars-failed-to-deliver-investors-hope-planes-are-different-11620984629
• What if flying reduced your carbon footprint?
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/what-if-flying-reduced-your-carbon-footprint-1.4570506
E-FUELS
• E-fuels offer clean future for shipping and aviation, green groups tell EU
https://www.transportenvironment.org/press/e-fuels-offer-clean-future-shipping-and-aviation-green-groups-tell-eu
Offsets greenwash
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.
• Top airlines’ promises to offset flights rely on ‘phantom credits’
https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2021/05/04/carbon-offsetting-british-airways-easyjet-verra/?utm_campaign=Carbon%20Brief%20Daily%20Briefing&utm_content=20210505&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Revue%20Daily
Stopping emissions through…
Climate emergency response
• ‘War’ footing needed to correct economists’ miscalculations on climate change, says professor
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/24/war-footing-needed-to-correct-economists-climate-change-failings.html
Demand reduction
BUSINESS TRAVEL
• The pandemic killed business travel. For the sake of the climate, it should stay dead
https://www.fastcompany.com/90632762/its-time-to-reassess-the-role-of-business-travel-in-global-warming
Halting infrastructure
PROTEST
• Environment lawyer fined £5k for contempt in Heathrow case
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/10/environment-lawyer-guilty-of-contempt-heathrow-tim-crosland
• Campaigners say UK airport expansion plans must be suspended amid new climate goals
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/may/10/campaigners-say-uk-airport-expansion-plans-must-be-suspended-amid-new-climate-goals
• French parliament votes to ban airport expansions and short flights
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/french-parliament-votes-to-ban-airport-expansions-and-short-flights-20210505-p57ox6.html
ADVERTISING
• First concrete step: Amsterdam is banning fossil advertising from the metro
https://verbiedfossielereclame.nl/eerste-concrete-stap-amsterdam-weert-fossiele-reclame-uit-de-metro/