A major academic report published this week claimed the aviation sector is “dangerously off track” to meet government and industry targets for achieving net zero by 2050.
The study from the Aviation Impact Accelerator project, based at Cambridge University, warned that, as flying becomes more affordable, the sector’s contribution to global CO2 emissions will continue to grow.
The report’s authors pointed out that aviation currently accounts for around 2.5% of global CO2 emissions, and when non-CO2 effects are included, the sector’s contribution to climate warming increases to around 4%.
“Despite ambitious pledges from governments and industry to achieve a net-zero aviation sector by 2050, the sector remains dangerously off track. Without swift and decisive action, we risk missing the opportunity to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and delaying the crucial technological and business transformations needed,” said the report.
The project is a joint global initiative from the University of Cambridge’s Whittle Laboratory and its Institute for Sustainability Leadership and brings together industry experts “to accelerate the transition to climate-neutral aviation”.
The authors proposed a five-year plan involving four “Sustainable Aviation Goals” with which to deliver the net zero goal.
“By investing now in frontier technologies – such as cryogenic hydrogen or methane fuels, hydrogen-electric propulsion, and synthetic biology – governments can unlock opportunities within the aviation sector and across a range of adjacent sectors, much like electric vehicles have reshaped the automotive sector,” they said.
Aviation Impact Accelerator, 2024. Five Years to Chart a New Future for Aviation: The 2030 Sustainable Aviation Goals [R.J. Miller, E.N. Whittington, S. Gabra, P.J. Hodgson, J. Green, J. Kho, J.R. Smith, D. Singh]. AIA, University of Cambridge.
Image: University of Cambridge
