The government’s latest Jet Zero strategy has been criticised by the pilots’ union and campaigners, who say it relies too much on technological breakthroughs.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps announced the plans on Tuesday (July 19), saying they will “help the sector become greener and allow passengers to enjoy guilt-free flying”.
Today, we published our #JetZero Strategy – our plan for delivering net zero aviation by 2050.
We were the first major economy to commit to net zero emissions, and this strategy will help the sector become greener and allow passengers to enjoy guilt-free flying
— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) July 19, 2022
The strategy will introduce a mandate to ensure that at least 10% of jet fuel is sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2030 and commits UK domestic aviation to achieving net zero emissions by 2040, and for all airports in England to be zero-emission by the same year.
The British Airline Pilots’ Association (Balpa) said the strategy “misses the significant deliverable steps in the challenging road to making aviation truly sustainable”.
“The strategy relies too heavily on unproven and uncosted technologies for removing greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere, a major risk to success,” said the union.
“In 2050, according to the strategy, aviation is still expected to emit half the CO2 that it does now, making the case for securing very real gains on non-CO2 effects immediately.”
Despite this, Balpa welcomed the new funding announcement of £180 million to foster a UK sustainable fuel industry on top of the substantial funding previously committed.
More: Shapps: ‘2019 should be peak year for aviation emissions’
The Aviation Environment Federation (AEF) – an organisation campaigning about aviation’s impacts for people and the environment – also criticised the reliance on technology.
Tim Johnson, AEF director of the AEF, said: “Ministers are not being honest about what it will take to achieve net zero flying. It’s crucial that we start reducing emissions now but the strategy doesn’t forecast any reductions before the next decade so we’re on course to blow our 2035 climate target.
“The strategy avoids answering the difficult questions like the need to fly less, and calling a halt to airport expansions.”
Cait Hewitt, AEF policy director, said: “The government is relying on technological breakthroughs from industry while allowing for continued growth. But some of these plans just don’t add up.
“For example, to make enough synthetic e-fuel to meet the existing jet fuel demand from the UK aviation sector would require an offshore wind farm the size of Northern Ireland.
“Given the need to limit passenger demand in order to meet climate goals, the Government must outline how it intends to ensure a just transition to create green, sustainable and secure jobs.”
Campaign organisation the No 3rd Runway Coalition said the strategy places “significant faith in the development of technologies that are in their infancy or do not yet exist to help deliver the decarbonisation of aviation”.
The organisation said the simplest way to assist the aviation sector to make progress in delivering on net zero targets would be for the government to withdraw policy support for a third runway at Heathrow.
However, the owner of Manchester, Stansted and East Midlands airports welcomed the strategy.
Charlie Cornish, chief executive at Manchester Airports Group, said: “The publication of the Jet Zero Strategy is an important recognition by government of the commitments made by our industry for a more sustainable future.
“With the pledges we have announced today, we will be working even more closely with our industry partners and the UK government through the Jet Zero Council, to make real and measurable progress against the targets we have in place.”
Henry Smith MP, chair of the All-Party Group for the Future of Aviation, also welcomed the strategy, saying it gives a “clear statement of intent and allows UK aviation to plan for its route to net zero”.
He said: “There has never been a more critical time to decarbonise and aviation can and must reach net-zero. To achieve this, industry and government now need to further work together to turn the Jet Zero ambitions and announcements into robust delivery plans, including for a domestic SAF industry by 2030.
Statement from the APPG for the Future of Aviation on the Jet Zero strategy published today pic.twitter.com/ZjvHV6jcXY
— The Future of Aviation Group (@aviationfutgrp) July 19, 2022
Picture credit: franconiaphoto / Shutterstock.com