It’s no news that airlines are major contributors to global warming and pollution. Statistics reveal the aviation sector is one of the fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for almost 2.4% of the total annual CO2 emissions and 13% of transport emissions. As the demand for air travel continues to rise, concerns regarding its impact on the environment are also growing.
But what is news is the fact that the aviation industry is finally taking concrete action to reduce its carbon footprint, at least on the European front. The European Union has recently reached an agreement on the ReFuelEU Aviation proposal whose purpose is to pave the path for more sustainable operations in the aviation industry by decarbonising air travel. More specifically, the deal which was secured Tuesday, April 25th, aims to cut down on the use of kerosene which releases damaging greenhouse gases into the atmosphere during combustion and increase the use of more sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs).
Therefore, blending kerosene with SAFs will soon become a widespread practice for European airlines. In order for the agreement to be put into effect as a legal provision, all European countries must express their approval, but this step is mostly regarded as a simple formal procedure.
What will change? Under the new rules, airline fuel providers will have to deliver a specific amount of SAFs to EU airports, which will start at 2% and gradually increase over time until it reaches 70% by 2050. This will hopefully lead to a rise in both the demand and supply of environmentally-friendly synthetic fuels and, as a direct consequence, prices will be kept down. Low supply and high costs were the main obstacles to the extensive use of SAFs, so the agreement provides a viable solution to these longstanding issues.
The ReFuelEU Aviation proposal also stipulates that all aircrafts flying off EU airports will be required to use the exact amount of necessary fuel per flight when refuelling, in order to reduce tinkering-related emissions. Airports will also have to bring their contribution by ensuring that their infrastructure is able to accommodate and facilitate the distribution of SAFs.
As for airlines, environmental labels are coming their way and will be introduced in 2025. These labels will provide information about the environmental impact of flights, measuring the estimated carbon footprint of passengers and the overall carbon efficiency of each air trip. Therefore, travellers will have one more thing to take into account when planning their trips, apart from securing the best flight deals or comparing prices for parking Stansted, as they’ll have more insight into each company’s environmental performance.
Adina Vălean, the European Commissioner for Transport, stated that the agreement marks a turning point for European aviation and a very important step in reaching a bigger objective of minimising fossil fuel imports which represent major points of concern for energy security. The ReFuelEU agreement is part of a bigger plan as the EU has committed to reaching zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The proposal comes after a recent report from the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change came out, warning once again about the disastrous consequences of the current climate crisis and highlighting the need for immediate action in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as fast as possible, before reaching the point of no return. The sooner we act, the higher the chances of correcting the climate emergency. The report’s findings show that the measures taken so far were not able to effectively address environmental issues, and a lot more needs to be done in this respect. And since the air travel industry has a huge impact on the environment, it makes sense for authorities to target this specific sector in their quest for sustainability.
Making air travel more eco-friendly is also an opportune change from travellers’ perspective. These days, flying is no longer just about booking tickets in advance or finding cheap parking at Heathrow to save money and enjoy greater convenience. People are increasingly more interested in environmental issues and expect the companies they support to do the same.
United States’ take on air travel sustainability
Across the ocean, similar plans are being put into motion, but the authorities seem to be taking a different route in this respect. The Biden admiration has also pledged to ramp up environmental efforts and cut back greenhouse gas emissions from aviation. The objective is to boost SAF production to at least three billion gallons per year by 2030. In order to reach the target, a SAF tax credit and a new SAF Grand Challenge will be introduced, and the whole project will be conducted by an interdisciplinary team of specialists from multiple areas of activity, including transportation, energy and agriculture.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA), the trade association of the global airline industry, voiced concerns regarding the ReFuelEU agreement, mentioning that these types of measures might trigger unpleasant effects as they speak directly to producers and the market and that could lead to higher costs for air travel in the future. IATA’s Deputy Director General went on to explain that United States’ decision to use invectives in order to encourage SAF production is a much safer and more efficient approach. If the EU doesn’t follow the same method, they might have to buy SAFs from abroad to reach their objectives. As a result, costs will increase and the benefits of using eco-friendly fuels will be greatly diminished.
Despite the mixed reactions, most stakeholders agree that decarbonising the aviation sector is a step in the right direction. Whether the ReFuelEU Aviation proposal will bring the desired results remains to be seen but for now, there’s plenty of hope that the focus on making air travel greener is going to make a positive difference in the fight against climate change.
