The UK Sustainable Aviation (SA) coalition has committed to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, officially revealing the pledge at an event with Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.
Based on a review of the opportunities to cut aviation emissions, the pledge forms a central pillar of the Decarbonisation Road-Map: A Path to Net Zero in which SA sets out where reductions can come from, including through smarter flight operations, new aircraft and engine technology, modernising UK airspace, the use of sustainable aviation fuels, and market-based policy measures.
The coalition believes that with these actions the UK will be able to grow passenger numbers by 70 per cent – in line with current projections – whilst reducing net emissions from 30 million tonnes of CO2 per year today down to zero.
SA is a coalition of major UK airlines, airports, manufacturers, air navigation service providers and key business partners and includes British Airways, Rolls-Royce, Airbus, MAG, EasyJet, BP, Boeing and Virgin as members.
Neil Robinson, chair of SA, said: “The UK is well positioned to become one of the leaders in the green technologies of the future, including sustainable aviation fuels and electric flight, creating highly-skilled and well-paid jobs in the process, and we look forward to working in partnership with Ministers to help realise these opportunities.”
This commitment is based on a thorough review of the opportunities to cut aviation carbon emissions. This includes smarter flight operations, new technology, the use of sustainable fuels and significant investment in carbon offset and removal. Delivering against this commitment will require a partnership approach with Government to ensure the opportunities to cut emissions are realised. This needs to be addressed through an international rather than national approach which can lead to competitive distortion and carbon leakage.
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