Private Aviation Has Pledged to Reach Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050. Here’s How That Can Happen.

by Michael Verdon (Robb Report) ... Another question is how to expand the availability of sustainable aviation fuel (which can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80 percent over conventional Jet A fuel) and bring down its price. Business-jet manufacturers are also increasing the efficiency of new aircraft. At the airports, there is also the important piece of making our nation’s air traffic control systems more efficient so that aircraft aren’t stuck in long flight patterns while waiting to land. While the road to sustainability isn’t clear, what is obvious is that it will require multiple pieces from different players. Here is our projected timeline for meeting the 2050 goal.

2023: Today, Jet A and A-1 type aviation fuels account for 99.9 percent of all jet-aircraft fuel usage; in 2022, about 60 million gallons of low-emissions, blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) were sold across all US flights, with about 12 percent used by private jets.

2030-2035: The use of SAF in US aviation is targeted to reach 3 billion gallons as refineries and distribution channels have expanded. With six market leaders projected to emerge, eVTOLs go mainstream, as do hybrid-gas-electric planes. Meanwhile, hydrogen-fuel-cell and battery-powered aircraft enter service.

2050: The industry becomes carbon-neutral as Jet A and A-1 fuels account for only 25 percent of consumption, with 35 billion gallons of SAF consumed by all forms of aviation. More environmentally friendly forms of propulsion, from hybrid to hydrogen to battery, are also mainstream. READ MORE

Excerpt from AIN Online: The general and business aviation industry must be more outspoken and confident about its environmental achievements and goals if it is to successfully combat the growing hostility from the influential and media-savvy environmental lobby. That was the main message conveyed yesterday at the British Business and General Aviation Association's (BBGA) annual conference in London.

The conference, held at the Leonardo Royal Hotel London St Paul's, was briefly interrupted by a handful of climate activists from the group Fossil-free London. That activist group claimed in an Instagram post that the event was targeted to assert its belief that “aviation is totally unsustainable [and] no technology currently exists to turn it green.”

Rana Walker, co-founder and principal consultant for business development and crisis management firm GR&AT, told delegates that social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter are essential tools for the industry to combat misinformation from opponents of business aviation and to communicate its “positive story.”

“It’s something that we can’t ignore, so we have to engage—and engage in a smart way,” she said.

It is imperative, therefore, that the industry communicates transparently the success it is making in this area. “You want to be net-zero by 2050? Make sure the policymakers and the public know the progress you are making towards that decarbonized future using social media, online and offline marketing,” said Walker.

This includes illustrating the progress being made in the development of sustainable aircraft and population systems, as well as in the production and availability of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). “SAF production tripled last year. So are you saying that across your platforms? In your engagement with the media and in conversations with the community? I hope so,” said Walker.

The industry can effectively collaborate through the media, local and national trade associations, and schools and universities “while adding a science-based activist to your company board could also help raise awareness,” she suggested.

Resetting the negative image of business aircraft as rich men’s extravagances is also essential in the quest for public approval. “In reality, most business aircraft are flown for medical, cargo, humanitarian, and business-related missions so that should be effectively promoted,” said Walker.

"Don’t sit back and be a victim, don’t deflect, but inform and educate,” she added. READ MORE