RMI

Sustainable aviation is becoming increasingly important as demand for air transport and travel soars. This week, RMI has highlighted sustainable aviation progress and opportunities in our Spark newsletter and across our social media channels. Solutions to reduce the climate impact of aviation range from scaling up sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to researching and reducing warming contrails. Learn more: https://bit.ly/4cZPW3e

The demand for low-carbon commodities like sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is growing, but the market is still developing. That’s why RMI co-founded the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA) – to connect corporate aviation customers with suppliers to help grow the SAF market. And new efforts to increase investment in SAF are underway. Market makers can play a key role in connecting supply with demand, allowing fuel producers to scale their operations, and airlines to retain flexibility in their contracts. TIME highlights the importance of developing green markets to drive cleantech innovation and growth: https://bit.ly/3LCeNOK #Aviation #Sustainability #SustainableAviation #SAF #Cleantech

Condensation trails — or contrails — created by aircraft flying through cold and humid air can significantly warm the climate. Most contrails dissolve within a few minutes, but in certain conditions, they can persist in the atmosphere, spread out, and become clouds that trap outgoing heat. This represents an additional climate impact alongside aviation’s direct carbon emissions. In recent years, technologies and methods have been developed to predict and avoid some of the warming effects created by contrails. Prediction models can inform operators of the optimal flight path to avoid contrails while limiting potential additional carbon emissions. These efforts can be validated by satellite imaging, ground-based monitoring, and pilot reporting to improve model accuracy. There are additional challenges that can only be overcome through continued collaboration by stakeholders from across the aviation industry. RMI’s Contrail Impact Task Force has been working to share and expand on the latest science on the climate impact of contrails. Their latest comprehensive report explores potential contrail solutions and identifies potential barriers to implementing those solutions. Check out the key takeaways from the report in our latest blog: https://bit.ly/4fvDRom #Aviation #ClimateImpact #ClimateAction #Contrails

This #NationalInternDay, we’re highlighting some of the talented interns in RMI’s summer cohort. Their passion, innovative ideas, and enthusiasm are essential to help us progress toward a clean future for all. This class is our largest yet, with 48 interns across the US and internationally. Learn about their motivations and what drives them to engage in this field. 🎉 👥: Olivia Williams, Jacob Stanger, Sydney Williams, Francie Fink, Phuc Nguyen, Selene Li, Srusti Ithal, Camden Burk, Han Bao, Julia Kate Bradley

This spring, 46 states submitted Priority Climate Action Plans to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with action on buildings included in EVERY plan. 👏 Upgrading buildings isn't just about cutting emissions; it's about enhancing public health, creating economic opportunities, and supporting local jobs. For example, Illinois is addressing gaps in energy retrofit incentives with a $430 million grant, Vermont is increasing incentives for energy-efficient affordable housing, and Maryland is implementing a Zero-Emission Heating Equipment Standard. 🎉 Looking ahead, Comprehensive Climate Action Plans due in 2025 will present opportunities for states to refine and expand measures, incorporate public input, and learn from each other. Buildings-focused actions can also deliver direct benefits to disadvantaged communities, improving air quality and lowering utility bills. State Climate Plans are a valuable resource for identifying collaboration opportunities, funding sources, and technical assistance. Leveraging these plans can help make our buildings cleaner, safer, and more energy efficient. Read our full insights here: https://bit.ly/3YjkokE RMI Carbon-Free Buildings #EnergyEfficiency #BuildingUpgrades #PublicHealth #EconomicDevelopment

Swapping out conventional jet fuel with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) can deliver lifecycle emissions savings of over 70 percent. But today, SAF represents a small amount of worldwide jet fuel use. Last year, RMI’s Joey Cathcart was on board Virgin Atlantic’s Flight 100, the first transatlantic commercial flight powered entirely by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Since then, SAF advancements have continued and the industry is developing further. https://bit.ly/4ftTb4S RMI and the Environmental Defense Fund, with the Sustainable Aviation Buyers Alliance (SABA) and Energy Web, created the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Certificate (SAFc) Registry to drive demand for sustainable aviation and bring consistency and transparency to the SAFc market. The largest purchase of SAF certificates followed soon after, with close to 20 major organizations committing to supporting the growing demand for decarbonized flights. 👏    The growing SAF industry still faces challenges, however, and RMI is committed to working with our partners to continue making air travel more sustainable. ✈️    #Aviation #SAF #Sustainability #SustainableAviation 

What is a VPP anyway? What kind of services can it offer your community? How do we value the services it offers to utilities and to customers? And, when you get down to dollars and cents, how should utility customers be fairly compensated for allowing their resources to be pooled and utilized for the entire community's benefit? RMI energy experts Stephanie Bieler, Cara Goldenberg, Avery McEvoy, EIT, Katerina Stephan, and Alex Walmsley teamed up to write a report that addresses all of these questions and more for NARUC (National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners) and NASEO - National Association of State Energy Officials (National Association of Energy Officials) and their DER (Distributed Energy Resources) Integration and Compensation Initiative. Thanks Jigar Shah for highlighting this resource! 👏

When you look up and see those vapor trails behind airplanes, remember: there's more to them than meets the eye. High in the sky, between 32,000 and 42,000 feet, aircraft engines emit soot particles into the cold, humid air. These particles act as seeds for condensation, forming water droplets that freeze into the ice crystals we see as contrails. Aviation is responsible for 2.4% of global climate-warming gases, but contrails amplify this effect. This intensifies extreme weather and heatwaves. The good news is we know more than ever about what causes warming contrails and how to stop them, and we’ll be releasing our findings later this week. 👀 Until then, learn how we can address this challenge together: https://bit.ly/4bUcJMM

Battery minerals are *not* the new oil. That’s the conclusion of our new RMI report, after analyzing six solutions across efficiency, innovation, and circularity: https://lnkd.in/gWXbJTNS I led the modeling and am happy to help if anyone wants to learn more. I was pretty skeptical at first, but the data showed solutions scaling faster than most people realize. Here are my top 10 takeaways (with thanks to Daan Walter for the vision and many of the charts): (1)   There are six solutions to curbing battery mineral demand across efficiency, innovation, and circularity… (2)   …And three have already made a major impact, halving nickel and cobalt demand per battery in the past decade. (3)   Continuing this trend leads to peak battery mineral demand in the 2030s (or sooner for cobalt)… (4)   …While accelerating this trend across all solutions can avoid most long-term demand. (5)   Battery mineral demand might even reach net-zero before 2050… (6)   …Powering our lives with a tiny and temporary fraction of the extraction that fossil fuels require. (7)   That’s because losses in recycling can be matched with reductions in demand from efficiency and innovation, leading towards circular self-sufficiency. (8)   Progress won’t happen on its own, but there’s a role for everyone – from countries to corporates across all six solutions. (9)   And the deeper we go (with efficient batteries, vehicles, and mobility), the broader the benefits for the climate, human rights, security, health, and wealth. (10) After all, sometimes we don’t need battery minerals to get around while feeling happy, healthy, and helpful. This picture is from Boulder’s Bike to Work Day, where I saw hundreds of happy bikers while delivering food to communities through Boulder Food Rescue. The more we can promote system solutions, the more we can realize these benefits for ourselves and future generations. With gratitude to co-authors Daan Walter, Sudeshna Mohanty, Kingsmill Bond, Maria Chiara Gullì, and Amory Lovins, along with the many others who provided input and support. Let’s spread the word!   

Can the world continue to reap the benefits of air travel while mitigating its environmental impact? 🤔 Sustainable aviation offers a path forward — a future where innovation reduces emissions and keeps skies clear. Discover the cutting-edge solutions taking flight: https://bit.ly/3Wf1vN6