Aviation sector feels heat on emissions at air show
Author: David Sherpardson and Paul Sandle
Record temperatures at the Farnborough Airshow this week have ratcheted up pressure on global aviation to shrink airplane emissions and turn a raft of potential solutions - many of which are yet to be proven - into reality. The airline industry, responsible for nearly 3% of global carbon dioxide emissions, faces formidable challenges to meet ambitious goals to cut emissions. Global airlines and aerospace manufacturers have vowed to be net zero by 2050. The boss of planemaker Airbus said the heatwave was a strong reminder of the need for urgency. "I consider there is urgency, speed is of the essence in the transition," Guillaume Faury told Reuters. "And in an industry that is hard to abate ... we need to be moving fast." Pressure is coming from governments and customers, especially corporate travelers whose companies are looking to reduce carbon footprints.