Climate-neutral flying – is that even possible?

Aviation emits large amounts of_CO2 every year and is therefore partly responsible for climate change. However, flights are often the only way to cover long distances in a short space of time. Many people are therefore faced with the question of whether climate-neutral flying will be possible in the future and how they can offset their flight.

The German Aviation Association (BDL) and the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI), together with the Center for Liberal Modernity (LibMod), have now drawn up a roadmap for climate-neutral flying. In the document, they summarize the measures that the aviation associations see as necessary for climate-neutral flying by 2050.

The document essentially summarizes seven points that would have to be implemented to achieve this.

New aircraft and engines

The further technical development of aircraft can reduce their fuel consumption in the future. However, it currently takes an average of 15 years to develop and certify new technologies. It will be another 25-30 years before these technical innovations are used on a large scale as part of fleet renewal.

The use of sustainable (especially synthetic) fuels

Great hopes continue to be pinned on electricity-based and advanced biogenic fuels. These can be used as a substitute for fossil kerosene. It is already possible to blend up to 50 percent of these fuels with kerosene. Aviation associations also see great potential in the development of biofuels made from cellulose and organic waste. These reduce the competition for resources with food production. In addition to biogenic fuels, the development and production of synthetic fuels should also be promoted. The production of these fuels with renewable energies can also make a contribution to climate neutrality. However, production requires many times more renewable energy sources than are currently available.

The digitalization of planning and production processes

The digitalization and optimization of planning and production processes increases efficiency. This in turn leads to lower_{CO2 emissions} in production.

Offsetting the flight

In order to bridge the gap until climate-neutral flying is achieved, compensatory instruments in particular are intended to reduce_{CO2 emissions} . So-called “emission certificates” play an important role here. The “Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation” (CORSIA) was introduced for aviation.

Better flight planning

_CO2 should also be_saved through better flight routes. Avoiding climate-damaging detours and adjusting flight altitude and flight times reduces non-CO2 climate _effects. Non-CO2 _climate effects include the formation of condensation trails, which make it more difficult to cool the atmosphere.

Further shift of traffic to rail

The associations also want to further expand the shift from air traffic to rail in the future. In particular, the associations see potential here to replace short flight routes with rail transport. In order for this to succeed, the aviation associations believe that more frequent train services and shorter train travel times are necessary.

Climate-neutral airport operations

German airports want to be climate-neutral by 2045. A switch to renewable energies, energy-efficient refurbishment and the conversion of the vehicle fleet to electric vehicles should contribute to this.

An article by Bergero et. al published in the journal “Nature Sustainability” in January 2023 comes to similar conclusions. In addition to reducing the number of flights and increasing technical efficiency, the greatest potential for climate-neutral flying lies in sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). However, the authors also point out points that make climate-neutral air travel more difficult. For example, in order to implement a sufficient amount of biofuels for net-zero air traffic without a reduction in flights and without extreme technical innovations, a five-fold increase in global biofuel production compared to production in 2019 is necessary. This would create enormous competition for raw materials with other sectors that rely on biofuels, as well as with food production.

The authors come to the conclusion that climate-neutral flight operations are feasible by 2050. Important prerequisites for this include only moderate growth in flight numbers as well as continuous development in energy efficiency, the development of new propulsion systems for short-haul flights and a large-scale acceleration in the production of SAFs.

In the short term,_CO2 compensation offers consumers the opportunity to offset the emissions caused by their flight. For this purpose, an application calculates the amount of_CO2 produced by the trip. According to this value, projects can be supported that_save or bind the same amount of_CO2 . A popular example is the planting of trees.

However, these offsets have been repeatedly criticized in recent years for not delivering what they promise. It is not always easy for consumers to find out which offers are legitimate climate offsets and which are not. However, widespread and well-known offers such as the “Gold Standard” or the “Climate Action Reserve” meet high standards and are therefore suitable for offsetting.

The easiest way to save_CO2 is to use alternative options such as rail travel, especially for short-haul flights. If you do fly,_CO2offsetting is a good way of offsetting the emissions and thus making the flight less harmful to the climate.

There are many offers and helpful apps to help you save_CO2 in your everyday life. We have tried out one of them here – Climate Buddy.