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Aviation has connected people and cities from around the Earth, but it has also made our planet warmer. In this episode, we will find out which carrots and sticks are needed to decarbonise air transport
Aviation has shortened distances across continents and connected people and cities all around the globe. However, it has also made our planet warmer. With a carbon footprint comparable to that of several countries – as well as a significant non-CO2 environmental impact – cleaning up aviation will be crucial to achieving our climate goals.
In this episode, we dive deep into the outlook for ‘green’ aviation after the COVID-19 pandemic: which sticks and carrots are needed to decarbonise air transport, and why international organisations have been so slow in taking action? How can we incentive airlines to switch to sustainable alternatives to kerosene?
To answer these questions, we sat with Jo Dardenne, Aviation Director at NGO Transport & Environment (T&E). Jo joined T&E in 2019 and manages their sustainable aviation campaigns which aim to address the impact of one of the transport sector’s fastest growing greenhouse gas emitters. Her focus includes aviation taxation, the EU emissions trading system, and sustainable fuels.
Enjoy the dispatch!
Disclaimer – This episode was recorded on 7 October – just a few hours before the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) formally adopted a net zero by 2050 objective for global aviation.
If you have any thoughts or questions about anything that has been discussed in this week’s episode, you can reach us at our Twitter accounts:
Jo Dardenne
Sam Morgan
Anna Gumbau
@Policy Dispatch
FORESIGHT Climate & Energy
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Art director: Trine Natskår.
Show notes:
FORESIGHT Policy Section
Energy losses in the production process contribute to making hydrogen produced with renewable energy expensive. Companies and researchers are working to improve the efficiency of electrolyser technology and scale it up, bringing down the green hydrogen price tag at the same time
It is the affordability of renewables that makes direct and indirect electrification of heating, transportation and some industrial processes possible. Ridding the world of carbon pollution is no longer a pipedream, but a job to get done
Enthusiasm for e-fuels is growing, but it is still unclear where the renewable energy will come from to produce them
As emissions from global aviation rise, companies are beginning to look closely at the idea of using electric planes for short-haul flights as a potential solution
Offsetting emissions is fraught with problems and critics fear these programmes could distract from the real goal of keeping fossil fuels in the ground
Increasing the level of electrification, coupled with greater use of renewables, is the best way of avoiding a climate catastrophe, says Matthias Rebellius, Siemens AG Management Board Member
Government support for Power-to-X projects and Denmark’s energy islands is essential in commercialising the technology, says Søren Rydbirk from Green Hydrogen Systems
Shifting some of Europe’s transport needs to the rails can contribute to the energy transition. But complicated and differing cross-border regulations and carbon-intensive power mixes are minimising the rail sector’s impact
Low-carbon hydrogen will almost certainly be needed to cut emissions across a range of hard-to-abate sectors. However, if it is used to solve too many problems, it could end up delaying the energy transition and putting urgent decarbonisation plans in jeopardy
As with any technology, the key to cost reduction is the rate at which the technology is deployed, but the hydrogen economy is moving forward slowly
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