US: Aim for zero emissions from civil aviation by 2050 |

The United States is aiming to achieve zero greenhouse gas emissions from the civil aviation sector by 2050, according to Transport Secretary Pete Boutige.

The White House announced in September that it was aiming for a 20% reduction in emissions from the civil aviation sector by 2030, as airlines faced pressure from environmental groups to reduce their carbon footprint, committing to the use of larger quantities of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

President Joe Biden has previously set a goal of making the United States carbon-neutral by 2050.

“This plan shows that we can tackle climate change as our economy grows and well-paid jobs are created in the United States,” Butige said.

In the Glasgow climate talks, Boutige will represent the United States, as an alliance of countries under Britain is expected to announce the “International Civil Aviation Climate Declaration”, according to sources in Reuters.

The declaration, according to a draft read by Reuters, will recognize that the United Nations International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is the appropriate forum for discussing harmful gas emissions from the international civil aviation sector, including commitments to pressuring ICAO to adopt “an ambitious long-term plan” and to support the evolution of SAF fuels.

The US target for zero emissions from 2050 is supported by an analysis by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

In addition to sustainable fuel, new aircraft technologies will be needed, along with increased operational functionality as well as reduced emissions from airports, according to the FAA.

“The elimination of carbon from the civil aviation sector is a particularly important challenge,” the FAA said in a statement.

The plan includes compensatory actions by airlines to “address potential emissions within the area in question, until the use of zero-emission greenhouse gases is introduced.”

The FAA announced that with investments from the US government and industry, “new narrow-body aircraft will be able to enter the air fleet in the 2030s and wide-body aircraft in the 2040s”.

In March, the US Airlines for America trade union, representing Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines and others, pledged to work with the government “to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050”. .