The year 2025 won’t be remembered as having any great contribution to the environment.

Changes of leaders and of priorities both in the Americas and in Europe have seen watering down or abandonment of policies and projects designed to reduce the impact on the planet. From cancelled renewable energy infrastructure to the glum news that internal combustion vehicles will continue to be mass-produced for many years to come, net zero has never seemed further away.

In aviation, progress has also been slow or non-existent. While it’s true that the volume of SAF produced has increased, so has the volume of regular jet fuel, so the sustainable alternative has yet to reach a meaningful volume. In turn, SAF producers such as Neste have rolled back their own CO2 targets due to issues with finding the investment needed to build plants to make the fuel.

So is there any cause for optimism? Well, there are companies working on reducing weight, improving efficiency and investing in more modern designs. In this special issue, we showcase what a few are doing to change things for the better.