A new report from the University of Cambridge’s Aviation Impact Accelerator (AIA), "Five Years to Chart a New Future for Aviation," identifies four sustainable aviation goals, including hydrogen-powered aircraft, that could help the aviation sector achieve net zero emissions by 2050. The report emphasizes that urgent action is needed by 2030 to prevent the worsening climate impact of aviation, which currently contributes approximately 2.5% of global CO2 emissions.
The report, published on September 23, 2024, outlines four key goals: reducing contrails, improving aircraft efficiency, increasing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production, and developing hydrogen-powered aircraft for long-haul flights. “Aviation stands at a pivotal moment, much like the automotive industry in the late 2000s,” said Professor Rob Miller, Director of the Whittle Laboratory and one of the report’s authors.
The report also notes that if these goals are not met by 2030, the opportunity for transformation will be lost, leaving the world to face the escalating climate impacts of the aviation sector, projected to at least double by 2050.
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(Top image: Credit — Airbus)
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