Newslinks: March 2025

… 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 halves claimed emission reductionss. 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.

• QLD biofuel booming toward net zero
https://www.energytodaymag.com.au/qld-biofuel-booming-toward-net-zero/

• Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways expand sustainability commitment with Renewable Developments Australia
https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/newsroom/2025/3/virgin-australia-and-qatar-airways-expand-sustainability-commitment/

• Virgin Australia and Viva Energy join forces in sustainable aviation fuel initiative
https://www.virginaustralia.com/au/en/newsroom/2025/3/virgin-australia-and-viva-energy-join-forces-in-sustainable-aviation-fuel-initiative/

• Airlines cast doubt on EU sustainable fuels targets
https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/oil-and-gas/airlines-cast-doubt-on-eu-sustainable-fuels-targets/119597143

• Industry on track to meet EU targets for sustainable aviation fuel share
https://www.eureporter.co/environment/decarbonization/2025/03/03/industry-on-track-to-meet-eu-targets-for-sustainable-aviation-fuel-share/

• Red Sea Global introduces Sustainable Aviation Fuel to reduce aviation emissions in Saudi Arabia
https://www.internationalairportreview.com/news/256606/red-sea-global-introduces-sustainable-aviation-fuel-to-reduce-aviation-emissions-in-saudi-arabia/

• Aviation’s Ticket to Decarbonisation
https://www.deloitte.com/gr/en/issues/climate/aviation-ticket-to-decarbonisation.html

• Infrastructure Horizons
https://www.ifminvestors.com/siteassets/shared-media/news–insights-pdfs/horizons-2025/infrastructure-horizons-2025.pdf

• Boeing partners with Norsk e-Fuel to advance SAF production
https://renewable-carbon.eu/news/boeing-partners-with-norsk-e-fuel-to-advance-saf-production/

• Rolls-Royce and CirculAIRity partner to promote synthetic SAF for aviation decarbonisation
https://www.chemanalyst.com/NewsAndDeals/NewsDetails/rolls-royce-and-circulairity-partner-to-promote-synthetic-saf-for-aviation-35011

• Sustainable aviation fuel’s turbulent future under Trump
https://www.internationalairportreview.com/article/256758/sustainable-aviation-fuels-turbulent-future-under-trump/

• JAL, Airbus, and partners unite to propel domestic bioethanol-based SAF for a greener aviation future
https://travelprnews.com/jal-airbus-and-partners-unite-to-propel-domestic-bioethanol-based-saf-for-a-greener-aviation-future-5888880/travel-press-release/2025/03/17/

• The role of Power-to-Liquid in expanding SAF availability
https://www.iata.org/en/iata-repository/publications/economic-reports/the-role-of-power-to-liquid-in-expanding-saf-availability/

• Sustainable Aviation Fuel Market Synopsis
https://infinitymarketresearch.com/sustainable-aviation-fuel-market/1894

• Are sustainable aviation fuels ready for take-off in 2025?
https://www.deloitte.com/de/de/our-thinking/sustainability-briefings/sustainability-briefing-sustainable-aviation-fuels.html

E-FUELS

• E-fuels for aviation could be an expensive and inefficient dead end
https://concito.dk/en/news/e-fuels-aviation-could-be-an-expensive-and-inefficient-dead

• E-fuels or storage – how to make the most of clean electricity and captured CO2
https://concito.dk/udgivelser/e-fuels-or-storage-how-to-make-the-most-of-clean-electricity-and-captured-co2

https://concito.dk/files/media/document/E-fuels%20or%20storage%20how%20to%20make%20the%20most%20of%20clean%20electricity%20and%20captured%20co2_0.pdf

HYDROGEN

• NASA develops a hydrogen hybrid engine that could eliminate carbon emissions in aviation
https://www.msn.com/en-ie/money/technology/nasa-develops-a-hydrogen-hybrid-engine-that-could-eliminate-carbon-emissions-in-aviation/ar-AA1A2QXA

• Hydrogen fuel cell technology: A sustainable solution for revolutionizing aviation and achieving significant carbon reduction in the industry
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S036031992500758X

… delusional scenarios

• What Are Major Sustainability Challenges in Travel?
https://skift.com/2025/03/03/what-are-major-sustainability-challenges-in-travel/

TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE

• International community achieves progress towards sustainable aviation, net zero carbon emissions
https://www.icao.int/Newsroom/Pages/International-community-achieves-progress-towards-sustainable-aviation-net-zero-carbon-emissions.aspx

• Finnair and DB Schenker aim to reduce GHG emissions for cargo transport
https://caasint.com/finnair-and-db-schenker-aim-to-reduce-ghg-emissions-for-cargo-transport/

FUEL EFFICIENCY

• The path to net-zero emissions for airlines
https://www.businesstraveller.com/features/fuel-efficiency-the-path-to-net-zero-emissions-for-airlines/

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.

• Decarbonization: United Airlines Invests In Direct Air Capture Company
https://simpleflying.com/decarbonization-united-invests-direct-air-capture/

• Xpansiv to Launch New Carbon Credit Contract to Support CORSIA Compliance
https://carboncredits.com/xpansiv-to-launch-new-carbon-credit-contract-to-support-corsia-compliance/

ICAO STATE ACTION PLANS

• Action plan of Ukraine for reducing aviation CO2 emissions
https://www.icao.int/environmental-protection/Documents/ActionPlan/Action-plan-of-Ukraine-for-reducing-aviation-Co2-emission-2025.pdf

INNOVATION

• ‘Relatively Stable’ Emissions? Airbus Says Innovation Can Offset Air Travel But the Record Isn’t Good
https://skift.com/2025/03/27/airbus-aviation-emissions-stablized-climate-change/

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 

• ‘Re-evaluation’ of 2050 net zero goal likely as targets appear increasingly unrealistic
https://centreforaviation.com/news/insights/re-evaluation-of-2050-net-zero-goal-likely-as-targets-appear-increasingly-unrealistic-712288

• Why airlines are revising green transition plans as SAF production fails to take off
https://www.flightglobal.com/airlines/why-airlines-are-revising-green-transition-plans-as-saf-production-fails-to-take-off/162028.article

… growth in flights

INCREASING DEMAND

• Emissions from domestic aviation reached their “highest level on record in the year to September 2024
https://reneweconomy.com.au/albaneses-climate-report-card-d-for-delivery-as-progress-stalls/

• Major global study reveals surging growth in tourism emissions and “alarming” inequalities between countries
https://tourismemissions.org

• United Airlines emissions report 2024
https://crreport.united.com/data/environment/

• Airlines Now Flying ‘2% More Seats’ Than 2019, Yet Scheduled Flights Still Haven’t Recovered From Pandemic
https://viewfromthewing.com/airlines-now-flying-2-more-seats-than-2019-yet-scheduled-flights-still-havent-recovered-from-pandemic/

• State of European Transport 2025
https://www.transportenvironment.org/state-of-european-transport/state-of-transport-2025/aviation

AIRPORT EXPANSIONS

• Was a pioneering Citizens’ Assembly misled over the harms of aviation?
https://nowthenmagazine.com/articles/doncaster-sheffield-airport-as-alarm-bells-ring-among-scientists-auditors-is-mayor-oliver-coppard-throwing-good-money-after-bad-climate-crisis-aviation-emissions-ed-miliband

• Environmental Audit Committee launches inquiry into government airport expansion push
https://www.newcivilengineer.com/latest/environmental-audit-committee-launches-inquiry-into-government-airport-expansion-push-28-03-2025/

• MPs to Investigate Government’s Strategy for Balancing Airport Expansion with Environmental Laws
https://www.sustainabletimes.co.uk/post/mps-to-investigate-government-s-strategy-for-balancing-airport-expansion-with-environmental-laws

• Is airport expansion compatible with net zero and environment targets? EAC launches new inquiry
https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/62/environmental-audit-committee/news/206148/is-airport-expansion-compatible-with-net-zero-and-environment-targets-eac-launches-new-inquiry/

SUPERSONIC JETS

• Supersonic passenger aircraft may be returning – here’s what that would mean for the climate
https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/travel/travel-news/2025/03/15/supersonic-passenger-plane

PRIVATE JETS

• These Activists Are Right: The World Doesn’t Need Any More Private Jets
https://www.thenation.com/article/environment/hanscom-field-private-jet/

… greenwashing

‘Sustainable’ Aviation Fuels and Direct Air Capture do not reduce flight emissions. Existing atmospheric CO2 emissions, at 420ppm, are already causing climate havoc. So, to restore a safe climate, we need to quickly draw them down, and keep them down — not put them back in the atmosphere via so-called ‘Sustainable’ Aviation Fuels and Direct Air Capture.

• ‘Don’t create a problem’: Advice for private jet owner Cannon-Brookes
https://www.afr.com/companies/transport/how-to-offset-emissions-from-your-private-jet-20250314-p5ljkl

• Billionaire climate campaigner Mike Cannon-Brookes defends buying private jet and sponsoring F1 team
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/14/mike-cannon-brookes-f1-williams-sponsorship-atlassian-private-jet

… regulation

FLIGHT CARBON BUDGETS

• Regulated air quotas
https://air-quotas.eu/

… degrowth

PERSONAL RESTRAINT

• Downscaling down under: towards degrowth in integrated assessment models
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09535314.2023.2301443#d1e384

Measuring emissions

• Aircraft engine emissions reporting information system
https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com/308315/1-s2.0-S2352146525X00028/1-s2.0-S2352146525000821/main.pdf

• Airlines to be forced to show environmental impact of every flight when booking
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/travel/news/airlines-could-be-forced-to-display-environmental-impact-of-every-flight/ar-BB1qt0pF

• EU issues draft rules for verification of aviation emissions data
https://carbon-pulse.com/381718/

Climate emergency

• Albanese’s climate report card: ‘D for Delivery’ as progress stalls
https://www.tempestsandterawatts.com/p/albaneses-climate-report-card-d-for

• 50% GDP Collapse Ahead? Actuaries Sound The Alarm—Who’s Listening?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/we-dont-have-time/2025/02/28/50-gdp-collapse-ahead-actuaries-sound-the-alarm-whos-listening/

• Global sea ice hit record low in February, scientists say
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/mar/06/global-sea-ice-hit-all-time-minimum-in-february-scientists-say

• Is scientific reticence hindering climate understanding?
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10.1080/00963402.2025.2464442

• Trump’s America is abandoning climate action and the fight just got harder
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-17/climate-change-religion-trump-zeldin-epa-wind-back-rules/105057538