The aviation sector continues to be among the most challenging to abate.
As the sector races against time to boost decarbonisation efforts and deliver on its ambitious net zero goals, I have been looking into some of the measures taken in Europe to work towards this.
Building a sustainable aviation business model has honed the EU’s focus towards greater use of sustainable aviation fuels, conducting international collaboration, funding for innovative solutions, and creating regulatory frameworks to overcome the challenges surrounding carbon emissions.
The EU is also looking at financial incentives, optimising air traffic management, and encouraging advancements in technology, while working towards balancing carbon footprint reduction against maintaining growth in the sector.
Why aren’t Sustainable Aviation Fuels adopted by more airlines?
Flights that are free from CO2 emissions require specific fuel (such as Sustainable Aviation Fuels – known as SAF – and hydrogen) as well as innovative technology and some further research, but there’s a drawback – and it isn’t just cost.
While SAF, hydrogen and other innovations have the capability to play a major role in mitigating the environmental impacts of aviation, none of these solutions are fully developed yet.
Innovations are still in the research and development stages for SAF, a fuel source which derives from sustainable feedstocks such as cooking oil and other non-palm waste oils from animals or plants. However, when fully developed, it is expected that SAF could reduce carbon emissions by 80 per cent over its entire life cycle, compared to jet fuel, and could help reach net zero goals.
ReFuelEU Aviation is an initiative which promotes the increased use of SAF as the single most powerful tool to decrease aviation CO2 emissions and requires aviation fuel suppliers to gradually increase the share of SAF blended into the conventional aviation fuel supplied at EU airports. It aims to have 70 per cent of SAF in all EU airports from 2050.
Flights that use SAF emit 10 per cent less emissions than regular jet fuel and the sustainable fuel, which is similar in its chemistry to jet fuel, can be blended with up to 50 per cent normal jet fuel or used alone.
What is the EU specifically doing to drive airline sustainability?
In 2021, a sustainability plan was devised by a coalition of European aviation trade associations to achieve net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.
The flagship initiative ‘Destination 2050’ covers flights both within and departing from the EU, UK and EFTA and builds on the Paris Agreement (the binding agreement uniting all nations to combat climate change) and the European Green Deal (creating a climate-neutral Europe by 2050).
It believes substantial CO2 emission reductions could be in place by 2050 and estimates:
• Improvements in aircraft and engine technologies could achieve emission reductions of 37 per cent
• Using sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) could achieve emission reductions of 34 per cent
• Improvements in air traffic management (ATM) and aircraft operations could achieve emission reductions of six per cent
• Implementing economic measures could achieve emission reductions of 8 per cent
The European Parliament and the Council reached a deal at the end of 2022 to help make the aviation sector ‘Fit for 55', setting in law its contribution to meet the target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 per cent by 2030.
Elsewhere, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has devised an initiative that will bring sustainability standards up to the equal level of importance as its safety priority.
Its Sustainable Aviation Programme aims to equip industry and stakeholders with the tools required to meet the challenges. Specifically, the programme will prioritise the latest green technologies to be supported and fostered through environmental certification and standards.
It will also facilitate decarbonisation of the aviation system through various incentivisation initiatives and promote operational efficiency.
How are individual EU airlines/airports implementing sustainable travel?
France introduced a ban on domestic short-haul flights last summer, to bring down carbon emissions, while Spain has plans for something similar on short-haul flights where there are rail alternatives under 2.5 hours.
Here’s what some EU airports/airlines have implemented:
• The Lufthansa Group is gearing up for a neutral carbon footprint by 2050. By 2030, the aviation group aims to halve its net CO2 emissions (compared to 2019) through measures validated by the independent Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)
• In 2000, Lufthansa CityLine was the first airline worldwide to adopt an environmental concept and receive the demanding EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) regulation seal of approval. Lufthansa Airlines and Lufthansa CityLine have been successfully validated again, in accordance with the same regulation. Jens Ritter, CEO of Lufthansa Airlines, said: "Through the collective integrated validation, we are jointly driving forward sustainability issues in different business areas. We are taking responsibility here with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of flying and always using the resources we need as efficiently as possible.”
• Amsterdam Airport Schiphol aims to be the world’s most sustainable airport by 2030, when it will become a fully no-emission airport, fully supporting the national climate agreement (which includes a pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 49 per cent by 2030). From LEED gold certified buildings and electric fleet expansion to 100 per cent wind powered airports (harnessing Eneco Dutch wind power), the business hopes to influence partners to utilise renewable energy.
Innovations to decarbonise the aviation sector come at a cost which will be filtered down to the consumer. How would you, as an air passenger, feel about this? Would you be happy to pay a higher cost for your flight if it was fuelled with SAF/ a more sustainable option to help decarbonise air travel?
I’d love to hear from you if you have other suggestions for what else airlines could be doing to improve their sustainability journey.
