Oi major Royal Dutch Shell says it is working to reducing emissions in the aviation industry as part of its commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
“Aviation is fundamental to the world economy and keeping people connected. Yet, if the world is to fly and emit less, everyone must work together now to reduce the cost of and increase the supply of sustainable aviation fuel, build engagement with carbon offsets and innovate around future technologies” Carlos Maurer, executive vice president, Sectors & Decarbonisation, Royal Dutch Shell said.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, aviation produced around 1 billion tonnes of carbon emissions in 2019: around 3 percent of all emissions released into the atmosphere globally. And yet, aviation has been slow to act when it comes to decarbonization.
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Making an impact tomorrow demands action today – there is no time to lose if society is to meet the Paris Agreement’s most ambitious target to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
Ninety percent of research participants consider decarbonization to be a top-three priority for their business, but there are significant barriers: global targets are not sufficiently ambitious and not adequately supported by local regulation; the high cost of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF); leisure passengers are reluctant to absorb the cost of lower emissions solutions; and, many within the aviation industry are skeptical about the role of carbon offsets.
The global aviation industry also produces around 2 percent of all human-induced carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and is responsible for 12 percent of CO2 emissions from all transport sources, compared to 74 percent from road transport.
