The UK’s leading airlines, airports, aerospace manufacturers and air service navigation providers have reaffirmed their joint commitment to a net zero future for UK aviation, setting out a first set of interim decarbonisation targets that will act as milestones on the path to net zero aviation by 2050.

Industry is targeting at least an overall 15 per cent reduction in net emissions relative to 2019 by 2030, and a 40 per cent net reduction by 2040, with the pace of decarbonisation ramping up as game-changing sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), permanent carbon removal, and new low and zero carbon technologies – such as electric and hydrogen powered aircraft – become mainstream in the 2030s.

Update to Decarbonisation Road Map planned

These milestones are reflected on a new chart taking account of the effects of Covid-19 on aviation demand and complement an ever-growing set of voluntary industry pledges to drive down emissions fast. Importantly, the announcement also kickstarts detailed work to update by the middle of next year the sector’s Decarbonisation Road Map, first published in 2020, which is expected to demonstrate even faster potential to decarbonise aviation through technology innovation.

Decarbonising aviation is a huge challenge, with significant technology and policy barriers that need to be overcome this decade. With the right support, it can be achieved, maintaining the major economic and social benefits of the UK’s air links to the world, and generating new opportunities for tomorrow’s engineers through highly skilled green aviation jobs. However, the UK risks falling behind as other countries including the US put in place enhanced policies to support innovation and new fuel technologies.

Key policies outlined

To make sure UK aviation continues to lead the world in aviation decarbonisation, further support is needed in five areas critical to realising net-zero flight:

• Key policies this year to deliver a UK SAF industry and commercialise SAF, most urgently by providing a demand signal and price support – the primer for up to 14 UK plants generating sustainable fuel from household and industrial waste by the middle 2030s, supporting at least a 32 per cent reduction in emissions from UK aviation by 2050
• A positive, long-term signal for investment in aerospace technology and the development of hybrid, electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft through increased and extended funding for the Aerospace Technology Institute
• The completion of vital airspace modernisation, generating significant carbon savings through more efficient flying and shorter journey times
• Policies to incentivise the commercialisation of carbon removal technologies, thereby enabling carbon neutral or carbon negative aviation fuel, allowing the aviation industry to address any remaining residual emissions
• The UK government to seek a more robust international commitment for aviation carbon reduction at the ICAO Assembly in 2022, ensuring emissions are reduced across the globe and not exported from the UK

Commenting on the launch of these targets, Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps MP said in response: “As the first major economy in the world to commit to net zero by 2050, we are leading the charge to cut aviation emissions through the Jet Zero Council. The commitment shown here by industry today builds on that work, embodying the forward-thinking attitude we need to decarbonise the sector and put the UK at the forefront of green aviation.”

“UK aviation led the world last year by being the first national aviation body in the world to commit to net zero by 2050. We are now raising the bar by committing to additional interim milestones to hold ourselves accountable on this journey to Jet Zero”, added Adam Morton, the chair of coalition group Sustainable Aviation.

“This is ambitious but achievable and requires meaningful cooperation between industry and government, as well as the necessary policies and funding to ensure the UK can build a world-leading SAF industry, create new clean aircraft, and modernise British airspace”, concluded Morton.

British Airways CEO Sean Doyle joined the debate, remarking: “We fully support this important commitment to 2030 and 2040 carbon reduction targets, demonstrating that as an industry we are taking action now to reduce our carbon emissions and put us on the pathway to our ultimate ambition of net zero emissions by 2050.”

Back in March, Sustainable Aviation responded to the UK Secretary of State for Transport’s comments on sustainable aviation fuels by saying it agreed that these are essential in order to achieve Jet Zero.