Europe’s airlines traditionally like to bicker with airports and air navigation service providers over a range of issues, most prominently regarding charges and allegations of monopolistic behavior. Now, though, the industry seems to have found common ground on one topic: the environment.
Prompted by public perception of air transport as an irresponsible polluter and by the European Green Deal—which would enshrine the EU’s commitment to reaching climate neutrality by 2050 and reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030—the industry in February launched “Destination 2050–A Route to Net Zero European Aviation.” The cross-industry sustainability initiative details a roadmap to reduce CO2 emissions from all flights within and departing from the “EU+,” which covers the EU27, the UK, and the four European Free Trade Association countries. The plan calls for emissions cuts of 45 percent by 2030 compared with the 2018 baseline and for reaching net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. The report calculates that using SAF could achieve emission reductions of up to 46 percent, including a 12 percent CO2 reduction from the effect of the more costly SAF on demand.
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