In the EU’s Green Deal, airlines will be charged extra for pollution as the industry moves towards more sustainable methods, including sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).
SAF is The New Jet Fuel
The aviation industry has been looking at ways to be more environmentally friendly during the pandemic in its bid not to lose the war against climate change. Given that the environment should not have to suffer in exchange for a huge boost in flights and seat sales after the financial impact of COVID, the industry is introducing a penalty for those that do not comply with standards, in the hope that airlines will become more eco-friendlier.
During, the Online High Level Conference on Synthetic SAF, government officials from around Europe each gave their support to the SAF initiative and stated how valuable sustainable fuels were to lowering emissions in the continent. Europe should be the first to enforce mandates and deadlines for a switch to SAF, and then the movement needs to grow internationally.
The first flight using sustainable aviation fuels took off five months ago, with KLM, Shell and the Dutch Ministry for Infrastructure and Water Management all working together to achieve this mighty feat.
The EU’s Green Deal
The proposal by the European Commission will help reduce the emission allowances for airlines. This is to help push carriers to use more sustainable methods and eco-fuel. The deal is a huge step in the right direction for an industry that wants to address the climate issues around its sector. The aim is to combine green fuels with already used jet fuel to lower emissions by over half by 2030.
What do you think of sustainable aviation fuels? Do you think airline emissions could be lowered by 2030? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!