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The briefing
on the need for a new aviation plan
The briefing on connected aviation
The news, views and numbers you need to know this month
Aviation needs a radical new plan to achieve its climate goals, a new action brief by the Rocky Mountain Institute has found. The findings warn that despite ambitious goals adopted by the industry over the past decade, as well as proactive actions such as the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), the efforts are simply not enough to meet the established benchmarks.
percentages
5.1%
There has been 5.1% annual fuel burn growth in average over the past four years due to passenger demand
0.01%
Sustainable aviation fuel is currently less than 0.01% of global consumption
3 – 9%
By the end of next year, the industry will contribute between 3% and 9% of annual global emissions
3%
Aviation efficiency gains are not enough to keep emissions growth under 3%. Passenger growth exceeds forecasts
In quotes
Adam Klauber, director and Isaac Toussie, senior associate at Rocky Mountain Institute:
Aviation needs a radical new plan to achieve its climate goals. In the past decade, airlines and aerospace manufacturers have adopted ambitious goals. However, the industry is not on track to meet these goals. Industry emissions are growing faster than original forecasts and long-term solutions are nowhere in sight.
Timeline
2020
By 2020, carbon dioxide from aviation will reach 1 gigaton per year
2030
Aviation needs to achieve significant emissions reduction by 2030 to keep warming below 2°C
Electric aircraft may also be a factor after 2030, but likely will not contribute meaningful carbon reduction for the next two decades
2035
The Environmental Defense Fund estimates that by 2035, airlines will purchase around 2.5 gigatons of out-of-sector carbon-project credits, which could cost $1.5–23.9bn per year
2050
The 2050 goal is to limit annual emissions to 0.3 gigatons which is 50% less than the 2005 level
