The University of Cambridge has set forth four innovative sustainable aviation objectives that could propel the aviation industry towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
Titled ‘Five Years to Pave a New Path for Aviation’, the blueprint lays out a strategic five-year agenda and “defines four critical 2030 Sustainable Aviation Goals, each addressing pivotal areas of influence within the industry”. Collaboratively developed by the Aviation Impact Accelerator (AIA) and the University of Cambridge, this roadmap aims to steer the aviation sector towards a sustainable future.
Currently responsible for around 2.5% of global CO2 emissions, the aviation industry’s impact on climate change rises to about 4% when factoring in non-CO2 effects.
Despite the bold commitments made by governments and industry players to achieve carbon neutrality in aviation by 2050, a recent report released on September 23, 2024, highlighted that the sector is significantly deviating from its sustainability targets.
Professor Rob Miller, one of the authors of the report and Director of the Whittle Laboratory, drew a parallel between the current state of aviation and the automotive sector in the late 2000s. He emphasized the need for transformative changes similar to the shift towards electric vehicles led by Tesla.
The report asserts that the aviation industry can attain carbon neutrality by 2030 if it successfully meets four crucial objectives. Among the key strategies is the elimination of contrails generated by aircraft, which could potentially slash aviation’s climate impact by up to 40%. To achieve this, extensive live testing grounds will be established in 2025 to deploy a global contrail avoidance system.
Additionally, researchers from Cambridge propose efficiency enhancements such as ramping up aircraft manufacturing to reduce fleet age, trimming flight speeds by approximately 15%, and prolonging transatlantic flight durations by about 50 minutes to keep airplanes within their optimal operational range.
Another key goal involves revising sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) policies to consider global biomass constraints across all industries while promoting renewable electricity generation. This strategic shift aims to instill confidence in the market, fostering a rapid increase in SAF production and ensuring its long-term viability.
Lastly, the report advocates for launching ambitious technology pilot programs, like developing hydrogen-powered aircraft for long-haul flights. Hydrogen, known for its lightweight properties even with tank weights considered, presents a promising solution to eliminate CO2 emissions from air travel.
The report forewarns that failing to achieve these objectives by 2030 would jeopardize the chance for transformative change, leaving the world to grapple with the aggravated climate consequences of a burgeoning aviation sector expected to double by 2050.
