With an aim for cleaner skies, 60 airlines have pledged to use 10% sustainable aviation fuel in their planes before 2030.
The Oneworld Alliance has previously stated its members want to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. This latest news will be a gentle push in that direction.
The announcement comes hot on the heels of Delta Air Lines’ publicizing a trial of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in flights from Los Angeles Airport (LAX). Delta has also pledged to use 10% SAF by 2030.
Many governments and industries have committed to net-zero emissions by 2050 to combat climate change. The aim is to restrict global warming to 1.5 Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit).
In light of growing public interest in global warming, the aviation industry is rapidly trying to reposition itself as a sustainable part of the post-COVID 19 global economic recovery.
Airlines Role in Climate Change Explored
Before the pandemic, airline emissions were increasing year on year and accounted for around 3% of all global emissions.
COVID travel restrictions saw passenger levels fall around 60% in 2020 and wipe about $400 billion from gross operating revenues. Airlines carried some 1.8 billion passengers last year compared to 4.5 billion passengers in 2019. Many thousands of jobs were lost worldwide, from cabin crew to airport ground workers.
Alliance members signed up to the 10% SAF pledge include many international carriers. American Airlines, British Airways, Sri Lankan Airlines, and Japan Airlines are among them.
Oneworld Alliance expects consumer appetite for travel to return to pre-pandemic levels. Most of the world’s busiest flight routes are domestic, with many already back in operation. International travel between popular hubs such as New York and London will soon pick up once U.S. travel restrictions lift in November, further boosting emissions
What Is Sustainable Aviation Fuel?
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is made from waste products called feedstocks. These include the solid waste due for landfills, animal waste, plant waste, and even cooking oil.
These base products undergo processing to create a biofuel similar to modern jet fuel. The two can be blended and handled in the same way. All aircraft that use standard jet fuel can operate with sustainable aviation fuel. SAF produces around 80% fewer lifetime carbon emissions than today’s jet fuel blends.
SAF sounds like the ideal solution to aviation’s emissions problem. However, it is currently much more expensive to produce SAF than the current jet fuel. Of the 300 million tons of jet fuel burned by commercial airlines in 2019, just 0.1% was SAF. Another estimate puts that figure at 0.01% SAF use.
Aviation fuel demand is expected to reach 500 million tons by 2045 — something has to change.
How Will the Airlines Incorporate Sustainable Fuel?
Each alliance airline will chart its own course to achieving its 10% goal.
Levers include operational and flight efficiency, investing in SAF production, and using more SAF fuel in flights. The Oneworld Alliance called on “active support towards the usage of SAF” from stakeholders. It also wants stakeholders to “expand and promote” SAF through policy, production, investments, grants, and regulations.
Oneworld CEO Rob Gurney said: “Expanding the use of SAF will be crucial in decarbonizing aviation in the near term, but we recognize no airline can do it alone … and hope it will galvanize others to take action.”
Airline Emissions to Remain High for a Decade
The aviation industry’s commitment to sustainable fuel adoption is to be cautiously welcomed.
Even if every airline signs up to 10% SAF use by 2030, that leaves almost an entire decade of air travel growth powered by jet fuel. Aviation’s share of total global emissions may grow in that same timeframe, despite the incorporation of sustainable aviation fuel.
Government-led investment in making SAF production cheaper and competitive with modern jet fuel is arguably more pressing than tinkering with fuel blends.
Opinion writer: Tom Shearman
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