The new Jet Zero approach establishes challenging environmental goals to guarantee that travellers can travel in the future guilt-free.
The UK domestic aviation sector will achieve net zero emissions by 2040, and all airports in England will achieve zero emissions by the same year, according to the policy, which was unveiled at the Farnborough International Airshow.
It also outlines a strategy for the sector to keep carbon emissions below pre-pandemic levels through actions aimed at providing system savings and new technologies, with yearly progress reports.
Around 2.5% of the world’s CO2 emissions are currently attributable to aviation.
The Jet Zero strategy offers the means to help future-proof the aviation sector, enable guilt-free air travel, and generate thousands of green employment throughout the nation.
The sector currently contributes £22 billion to our economy and is expected to increase as it recovers from the pandemic.
In order to achieve our ambitious goals, including the government’s promise to have at least 5 commercial-scale SAF facilities under construction in the UK by 2025, new, cutting-edge industries will emerge, and new infrastructure will be created.
Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, said:
We want 2019 to be known as the year when aviation emissions peaked. Going forward, carbon emissions should continue to decline, while green flights should see continually increasing demand.
The UK is leading by example in terms of the level of commitment required to combat climate change, and the Jet Zero strategy lays out a precise plan for creating a more environmentally friendly aviation industry for future generations.
Our approach recognises that decarbonization offers enormous economic benefits, generating the jobs and industries of the future and ensuring that UK enterprises are at the forefront of this green revolution, rather than trying to rein in the sector.
Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, said:
The decarbonization of aviation is one of the greatest industrial challenges of our time, and this strategy offers the clear vision and leadership needed to meet it.
It’s also important to note that the world’s transition to greener flight represents a major potential for the UK to ensure growth and jobs.
The UK is prepared to capitalise on its position as the first mover in the green aviation revolution by taking the ambitious actions specified in this strategy and working closely with its top-tier industrial and innovation base.
The strategy’s 6 priority areas are as follows:
enhancing the effectiveness of the current aviation infrastructure, including the aircraft, airports, and airspace.
For instance, we will increase fuel efficiency by 2% annually and will give an additional £3.7 million to airports in 2022–2023 to help them modernise their airspace.
boosting support for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) by establishing a SAF mandate that will require that at least 10% of jet fuel be produced from sustainable sources by 2030 and launching a domestic SAF industry with the help of the new £165 million Advanced Fuels Fund.
encouraging the creation of zero-emission aircraft with the goal of creating zero-emission routes throughout the UK by 2030.
enhancing the UK Emission Trade Scheme as well as developing carbon markets and greenhouse gas removal technologies to promote decarbonization and offset any remaining emissions (UK ETS).
giving customers better information so they can choose environmentally friendly aviation. In the fall of 2022, we’ll release a call for evidence on our plan to offer consumers environmental information when they book airline tickets.
Increasing our knowledge of aviation’s non-CO2 effects, such as nitrogen oxides and contrails. We will collaborate closely with academics and business to watch worldwide advancements in this field, deepen our understanding, identify potential mitigation strategies, and investigate ways to track these emissions because the effects of these remain unpredictable.
The Prime Minister’s Net Zero strategy, the UK’s economy-wide plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, and the Transport decarbonization plan, which outlines the commitments and actions required to decarbonize the entire transport system, are the foundations upon which the Jet Zero strategy is built.
The government today announced a new rule that, as part of the strategy, at least 10% SAF must be mixed with conventional aviation fuels by the end of the decade.
These fuels offer, on average, greenhouse gas emissions savings of more than 70% compared to conventional fossil jet fuel when fully replacing kerosene.
They are made from waste materials such as household waste, sewage, or used cooking oil.
The Jet Zero strategy includes SAF at its core, and as of today, innovative projects looking to produce SAF in the UK can submit bids for a share of the new £165 million Advanced Fuels Fund.
Our goal is to have at least 5 commercial SAF plants under construction in the UK by 2025, and this new funding will enable us to do so by building on the success of the £15 million Green Fuels, Green Skies competition.
Innovative initiatives will use engineering know-how to create millions of litres of SAF annually, supporting tens of thousands of green employment in our industrial heartlands, enhancing UK fuel security, and positioning us at the forefront of the developing global SAF market.
ADS Group’s CEO, Kevin Craven, said:
In order to achieve net zero aircraft carbon emissions by 2050, the UK should develop a clear plan that focuses on a wide range of actions that can reduce aviation carbon emissions.
The aerospace industry in the UK is devoted to and prepared to fulfil the promise of sustainable aviation.
This will entail the creation and implementation of zero-emission technology, which will be essential to the process of decarbonization, coupled with the use of sustainable aviation fuels and increased system effectiveness.
In order to maintain the UK’s position as a global leader in environmentally friendly aviation, ADS and its members are eager to collaborate with partners in business, academia, and government.
Julie Kitcher, EVP of Corporate Communications and Affairs at Airbus, stated:
Decarbonizing aviation is a difficult task, but the Jet Zero plan gives the industry a specific objective while promoting the development of the various technology avenues required to achieve net zero aircraft emissions by 2050.
Acting is best done right away. Together, we can achieve success.
Rolls-Royce plc’s CEO, Warren East, said:
As a participant in the Zero Emission Flight Delivery Group and the Jet Zero Council, Rolls-Royce is dedicated to collaborating with other businesses and the government to decarbonize aviation.
We applaud the goals outlined in the Jet Zero plan and the structure that will help the industry provide the technologies and innovation needed to meet our shared goals for Net Zero aviation.
Through this policy, the UK government is positioned to take the lead globally in the transition to more environmentally friendly aviation, and we will do our part to develop the technical innovations that will turn this vision into a reality.
Jet Zero Council member and founder of ZeroAvia, Val Miftakhov, said:
The Jet Zero Council was essential in gaining support for zero-emission aircraft technologies including ZeroAvia’s hydrogen-electric propulsion systems. The strategy announced today is the next phase, and it will work to keep the UK at the top of the world in our industry.
By the end of this decade, travellers will be boarding regional flights for business and pleasure that are guilt-free, zero-emission, hydrogen-electric, generating thousands of employment while also assisting us in achieving our shared net zero goals.
Charlie Cornish, CEO of Manchester Airport Group, said:
The release of the Jet Zero plan marks a significant turning point in our industry’s pursuit of a net zero carbon future.
We are honoured to hold a prominent position in the Jet Zero Council, which brings together business and government to exchange innovative ideas and guarantee that this goal becomes a reality.
In addition to collaborating with partners throughout our sector to reach the 2050 net zero goal, MAG is dedicated to upholding its own Jet Zero commitments.
Loganair’s Andy Smith, Head of Sustainability, stated:
Loganair is happy to participate actively in the Jet Zero Council, a cross-industry and governmental organisation that has advanced the UK aviation sector’s Net Zero strategy and made sure that the country stays at the forefront of international efforts to lessen aviation’s negative environmental effects.
Head of the Airspace Change Organising Group (ACOG), Mark Swan, stated:
Modernizing the airspace is an important national infrastructure project for the UK.
As we enter a new era in airspace utilisation, we have a big chance to deliver significant efficiencies for the industry.
Our airspace structures, or our pathways in the sky, have not been modified since the 1950s.
According to today’s Jet Zero policy, modernising our airspace will enable the UK develop a more resilient, future-proof airspace, advancing the nation closer to Jet Zero through carbon emission reduction-optimized routes.
In order to modernise our skies, we look forward to maintaining our collaboration with business and government.
Civil Aviation Authority Chief Executive Richard Moriarty said:
Regionally and globally, aviation has a large positive impact, but it also has a significant negative impact on the environment.
We must all continue to collaborate as a sector to lessen carbon emissions and the aviation industry’s contribution to climate change.
For the benefit of customers, users, and the larger community, the Jet Zero plan provides an excellent opportunity for collaborative cooperation to improve environmental performance in the aviation and aerospace sectors.
We take great pride in pledging to uphold the new charter and achieve net zero.
Matt Gorman, the chairman of Sustainable Aviation, said:
With the third-largest aviation network in the world and a long tradition of aviation innovation, the UK is well-positioned to guide the transition of the entire globe to a Jet Zero future.
The approach and commitments made by the members of the Jet Zero Council today mark a significant step toward realising this goal and demonstrate that aviation can develop sustainably with the correct help.
We like the strategy’s emphasis on assisting the technologies necessary to realise this goal.
We are eager to collaborate with the government on projects such as the commercialization and expansion of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) in the UK, technological investments such as those in zero-emission aircraft, the provision of essential modernization of the airspace, and supporting carbon removal technologies.
We anticipate that this will contain the necessary commercial incentives to encourage investment in SAF facilities here in the UK while ensuring that more comprehensive technological solutions are created and put into practice.
Emma Gilthorpe, the CEO of Jet Zero Council, said:
This marks a significant turning point in the process of decarbonizing aviation by providing the framework necessary for the Jet Zero Council to carry on with its excellent work on sustainable aviation fuels and zero-emission flight, as well as by outlining important policies to get us there, such as a SAF mandate.
I also applaud the plans to build five SAF plants by 2025 and zero-emission UK routes this decade, and I look forward to working with the council’s committed delivery groups to make these goals a reality.
The Transport Secretary is launching the next stage of his historic challenge to the aviation sector to deliver the first transatlantic flight powered entirely by SAF in 2023 as of today’s announcements.
Companies can now submit bids for funding of up to £1 million in response to a request for expressions of interest made in May of this year. Later this year, the government will notify the last successful candidate.
The announcements made today complement the efforts of the Jet Zero Council, which convened today at the renowned Farnborough International Airshow to talk about the Jet Zero strategy and sign a new charter for the council’s members.
With over 17 council members making fresh commitments today demonstrating their commitment to delivering Jet Zero, the charter will guarantee the council stays at the forefront of delivering SAF and zero emission aviation.
The new strategy builds on the UK’s presidency of COP26 in Glasgow, where it launched the International Aviation Climate Ambition Coalition, demonstrating the broad support for an ambitious long-term emissions reduction goal for international aviation that will be decided at the 41st ICAO Assembly this year.
The new strategy is the next significant step in the aviation industry’s transition to sustainability.
Through the Aerospace Growth Partnership, which today unveiled its new plan, Destination Net Zero, the government also collaborates with business.
The plan will work in tandem with the Jet Zero strategy to reduce aviation’s impact on the environment while advancing the UK’s position as a worldwide leader in aerospace and economic development.