Decarbonising aviation is a monumental challenge, but it’s also an opportunity of a lifetime to reimagine how we travel. The journey to net zero will see aircraft powered by new propulsion systems, more electric designs and sustainable aviation fuel, SAF. Haldane Dodd, Executive Director, Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) calls for continued collective action to scale SAF production, accelerate deployment of fuel-efficient aircraft and invest in next-generation technologies – ensuring aviation continues to drive global connectivity while helping safeguard the planet for future generations.
Haldane Dodd
Executive Director
Air Transport Action Group
Climate change is the defining issue of our time. It affects the environment in many different ways, from sea level rise and permafrost impacts, high temperatures to flooding caused by stronger storms and coastal erosion. Every industry is rethinking its own operations and is forced to innovate and act decisively. For aviation, a sector that not only connects more than 4 billion people every year and accounts for almost 4% of global economic activity, but also contributes roughly 2% of global carbon emissions, the need to decarbonise is even more urgent.
This is why the global air transport sector is working towards achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Yes, decarbonising a sector so heavily reliant on fossil fuels is a monumental challenge, but it also poses an opportunity as it allows us to reimagine the way we travel in the not-so-distant future: aircraft will be powered by new propulsion systems which reduce fuel use or rely on more electric architectures, while sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, will need to fuel the majority of flights taking off around the world.
At the same time, smarter and more efficient airspace management and airport infrastructure and operations will transform air travel. The challenge of our lifetime to reach net zero carbon emissions, is the opportunity of our lifetime to create the next generation of air transport!
Turning opportunity into reality
This is not just an ambition. Aviation’s net zero transformation is already underway – governments under the umbrella of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), support the sector’s 2050 goal. Airlines, airports, manufacturers, air navigation providers and the entire air transport value chain are taking action to lower carbon emissions.
But the way to get there is difficult, requiring enormous efforts by all stakeholders. There is no silver bullet to get to net zero and different stakeholders and regions in the world will contribute in different ways. Some will lead through large-scale deployment of sustainable aviation fuel, while others will pioneer hydrogen, hybrid and electric propulsion systems. Together, these efforts are converging into one shared journey: transforming the vision of tomorrow’s flight into today’s reality.
At the heart of this transformation lies the shift from fossil fuels to cleaner energy sources. Sustainable aviation fuel, which can be produced from feedstocks such as waste oils, agricultural residues, algae or even captured carbon, can reduce lifecycle emissions by up to 80%. But the challenge is to scale it: this fuel currently represents less than 1% of global jet fuel use. To meet 2050 targets, production must increase exponentially, requiring the creation of an entirely new energy ecosystem. That means new refineries and supply chains as well as harmonised regulations around the globe and investment and financial frameworks.
