Chasing A Sustainable Future: What do airlines do to achieve eco-friendly flights?

One of humanity’s greatest inventions is the airplanes we now use in the aviation industry.

With wings that are shaped to make air move faster once in flight, airplanes fulfill people’s desire to fly and soar high in the sky.

However, there’s a problem. Since airplanes are designed to run on fuel, the very wings that give people flight come with environmental consequences:

Carbon emissions.

According to Our World in Data, aviation accounted for 2.5% of global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2019. This share has fluctuated between 2% and 2.5% since the mid-1990s and continues up to this date. While other industries also contribute significantly to pollution, addressing aviation’s impact is crucial for the sustainability of the planet.

Efforts to Reduce Carbon Emissions

The aviation industry’s contribution to CO2 emissions highlights the urgent need to address its environmental impact. That is why airline companies have turned to sustainable initiatives to mitigate their CO2 emissions. One of the most common strategies is carbon offsetting, which has become the default choice for many airlines’ sustainability initiatives.

Photo from Aviation Week

Carbon offsetting compensates for emissions by investing in “green projects” or projects that aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote renewable energy, and enhance natural ecosystems. These projects can be either natural, such as reforestation and agroforestry, or mechanical, like renewable energy.

However, there is a growing recognition that carbon offsetting alone may not be sufficient… and there are two reasons: delayed impact and finite capacity.

• Delayed Impact: Carbon offsetting involves a time lag between the investment in a green project and the actual reduction of CO2 in the atmosphere.

  For example: Tree planting is one of the most common carbon offsetting activities; however, it takes several years for trees to mature and significantly help in reducing the amount of carbon emissions in the atmosphere.

• Finite Capacity: Another issue with carbon offsetting is the limited capacity of available projects to absorb the amounts of carbon emissions.

  For example: There's a limit to how many trees can be planted or how much land can be used for renewable energy projects because the land is also needed for farming and other purposes.

Additionally, according to a BBC report, many major airlines are failing to implement carbon offset schemes due to minimal passenger participation.

The lack of trust in carbon offsetting also started to grow due to the current approaches failing to contribute to the progress towards the net zero target.

These are the reasons why United Airlines has announced its most ambitious environmental commitment yet: To go 100% green by reducing 100% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 through significant investments in carbon capture technologies.

Airbus followed this up by partnering with Air Canada, Air France, EasyJet, LATAM Airlines Group, and other airline companies to conduct further research on direct air carbon capture and storage facilities that will be built in Texas.

Additionally, Boeing donated USD 10 million to Yale University to fund the research methods for carbon capture in the battle against climate change.

Carbon capture technology involves drawing CO2 directly from the air. The collected gas can then be stored in the ground or utilized to produce new fuels, chemicals, or other materials.

Carbon capture’s impact on the environment can be more immediate and measurable compared to carbon offsetting, which relies on long-term methods to mitigate carbon emissions. More importantly, carbon capture’s effectiveness is more transparent in the long run.

So, does this mean airlines should go all-out with carbon capture technology?

While carbon capture technology offers a promising avenue for directly addressing CO2 emissions, it is not without its own set of challenges:

• High Costs: The expense for carbon capture technology is no joke. The infrastructures needed for this technology require significant investments and smaller airlines might face economic challenges.

• Energy Intensive: A lot of energy is required in the process of carbon capture. If this energy isn’t from renewable sources, it will just contribute to more emissions instead of reducing them.

A Dual Approach to Aviation Sustainability

Airline companies' commitment to achieve more sustainability in the industry through carbon capture technology truly promotes green aviation… and the good news?

Airlines can consider a dual approach integrating both carbon offsetting and carbon capture as a more comprehensive solution!

• Carbon offsetting allows airlines to address their CO2 emissions by investing in projects like tree planting and renewable energy even if the results take time to show.

• Carbon capture technology seems to be a promising solution for immediately reducing carbon emissions. Continued research may drive down costs, potentially making this method a viable option for smaller airlines as well.

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The race between carbon offsetting and carbon capture should not be viewed as a competition. Instead, it should be seen as a collaboration that points towards a common goal: A sustainable future.

Thus, we must advocate for continuous research on aviation sustainability to fully achieve the 100% green status.

Together, let’s hope for a greener future for the Earth and the aviation industry!