Sustainability In The Air

As the aviation industry looks towards its 2050 net-zero target, North America, particularly the US, has emerged as the undisputed leader in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production. One of the main reasons for the rise of the North American SAF industry has been a supportive regulatory environment. The US government’s ambitious SAF Grand Challenge aims for an annual production of 3 billion gallons by 2030, while Canada is implementing mandatory SAF blending requirements through its Clean Fuel Regulations. Major airlines like United, Delta, and Air Canada have also made significant investments and commitments. Produced in conjunction with the upcoming Sustainable Aviation Futures North America Congress in Houston (scheduled from 2 to 4 October 2024), our new report outlines critical opportunities and challenges in the North American SAF industry, focusing especially on: 💚 Exploring and analysing the hurdles in SAF adoption: 💚 The potential of e-fuels and their associated production costs and intensive energy requirements; 💚 Addressing the challenges in the current SAF landscape through supportive policies and incentives, offtakes, and innovative financing; 💚 Promoting SAF through a balance of immediate actions and long-term strategies, and effective collaboration and investments; 💚 Providing a comprehensive directory of North American SAF producers. ➡️ Download your free copy now: https://lnkd.in/dYbHXc4U Jamie B. Jamie Dowswell Ros Johnston Shashank Nigam ✈ Shubhodeep Pal Dirk Singer Baiba Dreimane Ligia Helena Fernández Esteve Ayushi Badola #sustainableaviation #sustainableaviationfuel

Air New Zealand's recent retreat from its ambitious 2030 net-zero target casts a light on the practical challenges in achieving ambitious short-term targets, especially in procuring fuel-efficient aircraft and accessing SAF. While this pivot may seem like a setback, it doesn't eclipse the sector's innovative spirit or its collaborative endeavours. Instead, it could very well amplify the urgency for what some are calling "radical collaboration." Such intensified efforts could accelerate the adoption of electric aircraft for short-haul flights and further exploration into green hydrogen technology, potentially reshaping the future of aviation in New Zealand and beyond. Hear more from Billie Moore, Chief Executive at the NZ Airports Association, as she delves into these topics in our latest podcast episode available on all major platforms: https://lnkd.in/deTew-sR #podcast #sustainableaviation

☀📚 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬 - Sustainability in the Air: Innovators Transforming Aviation for a Greener Future by Shashank Nigam ✈ & Dirk Singer. 📑 Our team has compiled some excellent reads on #aviation and #innovation, and we’re excited to share one of our top recommendations. This book delves into aviation’s critical shift towards sustainable practices amid climate change. Through case studies and interviews, it explores how airlines are adopting sustainable aviation fuel, electric, and hydrogen-powered aircraft to achieve net-zero emissions. 😍 We’d love to hear your thoughts on this book! (Clean Aviation is not affiliated with the authors of this book)

Happy Friday! We’ve got 20 news headlines that you won’t want to miss this week – all highlighting the latest advancements and initiatives in aviation sustainability. Subscribe for free to receive new posts straight in your inbox: https://lnkd.in/dXFzMyGe ✍️ By Shubhodeep Pal #sustainableaviation

New Zealand’s geographical isolation sets it apart in the global aviation landscape, presenting both challenges and opportunities. This isolation makes air travel not just important, but essential for New Zealand. As Billie Moore, Chief Executive at NZ Airports Association states, “Aviation is essential to our economy as a long haul tourism destination and exporter. It’s essential to our social well-being. People are able to connect with family and friends, and it’s essential for emergency and medical response,” she explains. Moreover, New Zealand’s mountainous terrain and skinny landmass have also limited the development of extensive rail networks, making air travel even more crucial for domestic connectivity. In today’s podcast episode, Shashank Nigam ✈ speaks with Billie, who shares insights into New Zealand’s distinctive approach to sustainable aviation and the challenges of operating in an isolated island nation. Here are the key highlights of the conversation: 💚 New Zealand’s unique geographical context and aviation importance (2:35) 💚 Airport-led sustainability initiatives like solar farms (15:10) 💚 The need for New Zealand-specific economic modelling (25:42) 💚 Electric aircraft potential in New Zealand (28:18) 💚 Christchurch Airport’s Hydrogen Consortium (31:12) 💚 Air New Zealand’s Flight NZ0 project and airport engagement (31:12) 💚 Rapid Fire! (42:46) 🎧 Have a listen on your favourite podcast platform or subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/deTew-sR #sustainabilityintheair #podcast

In our latest podcast episode, Matt Finch from Transport & Environment (T&E) discusses how the absence of fuel duty on aviation fuel gives the aviation sector an unfair advantage and reduces the incentive for decarbonisation. He points out that this tax-free status artificially suppresses the cost of air travel, hindering the transition to more sustainable alternatives. “We apply fuel duty, and we do this because of what economists call negative externalities. We all know about it. Burning fuel causes knock-on costs to society. And we charge for everyone who burns fuel apart from airlines.” While Finch acknowledges the importance of the UK’s SAF mandate, he expresses concerns about its long-term ambition and the challenges in scaling up SAF production, such as limited feedstocks, high production costs, and lack of production facilities. His most interesting contention is that airlines may indulge in “creative accounting” and use SAF only on mandated routes while continuing to use conventional fuel elsewhere, limiting the overall emissions reduction. Tune into the full discussion on all major podcast platforms or visit our hub for a brief summary: https://lnkd.in/dYYY2SYR #saf #sustaiableaviationfuel

Happy Friday! We’ve got 20 news headlines that you won’t want to miss this week – all highlighting the latest advancements and initiatives in aviation sustainability. Subscribe for free to receive new posts straight in your inbox: https://lnkd.in/dGjcMTGs ✍️ By Shubhodeep Pal #sustainableaviation

The aviation industry today faces a set of challenges that strikingly echo those encountered by the road transport sector a few decades ago. ➡️ Just as the road sector grappled with questions about electric vs. hydrogen vehicles, aviation is now facing similar debates about the best path forward for zero-emission aircraft. ➡️ The discussions around SAF mirror earlier debates about biofuels in road transport, including concerns about feedstock sustainability and scalability. ➡️ The development of effective policies to drive decarbonisation in aviation echoes the earlier process of establishing emissions standards and incentives in the automotive sector. ➡️ The need for new refuelling infrastructure for SAF and potentially hydrogen aircraft parallels the rollout of electric vehicle charging networks. In today's podcast episode, Shashank Nigam ✈ speaks with Matt Finch, UK Policy Manager at Transport & Environment (T&E), about aviation's need for more ambitious policies and actions to address its environmental impact. Here are the key highlights of the conversation: 💚 The lack of fuel duty on aviation fuel (3:01) 💚 UK’s SAF mandate and its limitations (11:22) 💚 Challenges in scaling up SAF production (16:06) 💚 The environmental impact of airport expansion (34:39) 💚 The importance of addressing non-CO2 impacts of aviation (39:40) 💚 Parallels between aviation and road transport decarbonisation (41:34) 💚 The UK’s potential to lead in sustainable aviation innovation (43:54) 💚 Rapid Fire! (42:51) 🎧 Have a listen on your favourite podcast platform or subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/dYYY2SYR #sustainabilityintheair #podcast

To our friends in India, happy 78th Independence Day! 🇮🇳 To celebrate this occasion, we wanted to share highlights of our first-ever podcast interview in Hindi with a very willing and knowledgeable guest, Preeti Jain from IATA. As the Head of Net Zero at the International International Air Transport Association (IATA), Preeti argues that there’s huge potential for emerging economies to develop domestic SAF industries using locally available feedstocks. Countries like India that generate massive quantities of crop residues and byproducts, could use them for producing SAF with the right policy support and investment in infrastructure. Developing these SAF value chains will aid emissions reduction, rural economic development, and improved waste management, Preeti explains. Moreover, she believes SAF can offer important energy security benefits for these countries as well. For those who would like to listen to the interview in English, it's available on all major podcast platforms: https://lnkd.in/dGeTG6jP #hindi #indianaviation #saf

For Hawaiian Airlines, alternative aviation fuels represent the most promising path to decarbonisation, especially for long-haul flights. "We have our inner island network, which is 150 flights a day between the islands. That's about 70% of our total departures, but it's only about 10% of our carbon footprint." Consequently, the airline has set an ambitious goal to use 10% SAF by 2030. In fact, instead of relying solely on imports, the airline is actively developing SAF production in Hawaii. They've partnered with Par Hawaii Refining, LLC to explore converting part of its Oahu refinery, with Par already committing $90 million to the project. Additionally, the airline is collaborating with Pono Pacific to explore growing local energy crops as a potential feedstock. Learn more by listening to our interview with Alanna James, Managing Director of Sustainability Initiatives at Hawaiian Airlines: https://lnkd.in/dG7c37Nd #sustainableaviation