Carbon emissions from flight operations have become a key metric for those who care about sustainable air travel since it’s an easily understood shorthand to quantify impact, assess trends and develop targets. In truth, it’s only one of many different metrics that could and should be used to understand the impact of aviation on the climate.
It’s not surprising that airplane carbon emissions are the most widely touted measure of aviation sustainability; the sight of airline contrails streaking across skies is a very visible reminder that aircraft burn fossil fuels and that the burning of fossil fuels is a leading cause of global warming. It is going to take some years before aircraft are powered by renewable energy sources to any great extent. In the meantime, much is being done to make aircraft more efficient and reduce fuel burn.
Across the industry, there is work being done to reduce waste, reduce noise, bring in renewably powered airport vehicles, adopt low energy…