Decarbonising Air Freight
Aviation generates around 3% of global carbon emissions, and decarbonising it is a real challenge because of the sector’s rapid pace of development. According to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), part of the UN system, if adequate measures are not taken, carbon emissions could rise by 300–700% by 2050 compared with 2005.
The difficult road to decarbonisation
On 4 October 2021, the 77th IATA Annual General Meeting in Boston, USA, resolved to achieve carbon neutrality for member airlines by 2050. The decision is fully aligned with the Paris Agreement’s aim of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celsius. Achieving it, however, requires all participants in the transport process — airlines, airports, suppliers, manufacturers and air traffic control bodies — to work in sync with their governments. IATA called on ICAO to approve its roadmap for limiting and eliminating carbon emissions and to support Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) as a primary tool for cutting emissions by up to 85% until new hydrogen- and electric-powered engine technologies enter the industry. According to consultancy IBA, only 0.1% of aviation fuel used today is sustainable. One reason for slow adoption is its price, which is two to four times higher than conventional jet fuel. Meeting decarbonisation targets would require annual SAF production of 119 billion gallons. Current capacity is just over 33 million gallons, with technical potential to increase to 1.3 billion gallons by 2025. With effective government support, this could reach 8 billion gallons by 2030 and then rise sharply if production becomes cheaper.
Production targets
SAF is produced mainly from biomass. Synthetic fuels are also being tested and offer significant potential to speed up production. SAF can be blended with conventional kerosene to reduce harmful emissions. Yet current targets remain far from what would be needed for genuine carbon neutrality. At the end of November, Emirates carried out the first test flight of an A380 in which one of the aircraft’s four engines and one auxiliary power unit were powered by 100% SAF. Joint teams from Emirates, ICAO, Airbus, Engine Alliance, Pratt & Whitney, Neste, Virent and ENOC worked on the project, and the results will be shared with other airlines. The European Union proposes blending conventional kerosene with 2% SAF by 2025, gradually increasing the share through 2050. The United States has also set targets, including 3 billion gallons of SAF by 2030 and 35 billion gallons by 2050.
The example of Flexport and Chooose
Flexport.org, a subsidiary of digital freight forwarder Flexport focused on its environmental transformation, launched an extensive partnership with Norwegian organisation Chooose. Founded in 2017, Chooose is a community of engineers, entrepreneurs and climate experts developing advanced carbon-reduction solutions. Through the partnership, Flexport offers its customers opportunities to reduce long-term emissions from air freight using the Chooose API. Customers can book air freight while selecting aircraft using fully or partially sustainable aviation fuel, purchase carbon-offset certificates and view their environmental dashboard in the Flexport platform.
The First Movers Coalition
The First Movers Coalition (FMC), created in 2021 by the World Economic Forum in Davos, is a leading global community of companies using their market position and purchasing power to accelerate innovative technologies for eliminating carbon emissions in the hardest-to-abate industries. These eight industries generate around 30% of global carbon emissions and could exceed 50% by mid-century. Aviation, shipping, steel production and road transport are among the highest priorities, followed by aluminium production and hydrocarbon processing, with cement and concrete also included.