The United Nations COP28 meeting that convenes in the UAE on Thursday for a two-week session is widely expected to confront the latest assessments that the world is making insufficient progress in reducing the impact of climate change. The International Energy Agency’s recently published update to its Net Zero Roadmap warned that the pathway to limiting global warming to no more than a 1.5-degree Celsius increase over pre-industrial levels is narrowing but still navigable with the right combination of technology, investment, and political will.
The COP28 delegates are expected to agree on further measures to fast-track the introduction of decarbonized energy sources in all aspects of human activity, including aviation. But with widespread skepticism about the outcomes of an event hosted by one of the world’s top-10 oil-producing nations, pressure will likely increase for the actions of industries like air transport to speak louder than the carefully nuanced words of political leaders.
Tuesday’s transatlantic flight by a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787 airliner powered entirely by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is clearly intended as a statement of intent ahead of the COP gathering in Dubai. It happened just a week after Gulfstream, with less fanfare, flew a G600 business jet on 100 percent SAF from its Savannah, Georgia headquarters to London-area Farnborough Airport.
Virgin's Dreamliner took off from London Heathrow Airport for New York John F. Kennedy Airport filled with a dual blend of 88 percent fuel derived using the HEFA (hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids) process, produced by Air bp, and 12 percent synthetic aromatic kerosene—supplied by Virent and made with plant sugar byproducts from corn. The UK-based airline has led a consortium of partners that also includes Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Imperial College London, the University of Sheffield, ICF, and the Rocky Mountain Institute.
The well-publicized flight is further evidence that operating with unblended SAF is now technically possible and safe. What remains more complex is how supplies of the fuel can be boosted at sufficiently exponential rates to fulfill their role as a stepping stone to net-zero flying.
In the longer term, this will also depend on advances in propulsion alternatives that are expected to include hydrogen. Legally binding measures such as mandates for SAF availability at airports are just the sort of political leadership the industry will be looking to COP28 delegates for, but the jury is out on whether they can count on it materializing at the end of the meeting on December 12.
Business Aviation in the Firing Line Again
Virgin Atlantic and its partners were largely able to accentuate the positives of the first transatlantic airliner flight with 100 percent SAF. However, a less positive prelude to the COP28 meeting arrived last week, with business aviation once again made the whipping boy for those who remain unconvinced by the industry’s commitment to decarbonize. The latest attack hinged on a report by the UK newspaper The Guardian, which served up a carefully curated smorgasbord of data to demonstrate that flights since the start of 2022 by 200 prominent private jet travelers generated as much carbon dioxide as the total emissions from almost 40,000 British citizens.
Extrapolating data collected from Eurocontrol, OpenSky, and Conklin & de Decker, reporters concluded that some 44,000 flights in 300 aircraft emitted an estimated 415,518 tonnes of CO2. The report singled out flights by entertainment industry celebrities, including the Rolling Stones and the Murdoch family media moguls. It also highlighted the contributions of 39 jets operated by 30 prominent Russians, including the late Wagner group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, who reportedly generated 30,701 tonnes of CO2 before the fatal “accident” that destroyed his Embraer Legacy 600 on August 23.
The report is far from the first time that business aviation has found itself demonized by critics of environmental policy in 2023. “It is regrettable that The Guardian’s article selectively cherry-picks a few particular cases to shape a narrative on wealth inequality, neglecting the broader perspective on business aviation that presents a different story,” commented Róman Kok, senior communications manager with the European Business Aviation Association.
“This sector is not a luxury fancy but a vital tool for the global economy, providing a time-efficient transport solution to decision-makers worldwide. It enables economic growth, job creation, and connectivity to underserved regions. Every time a business jet flies, significant economic value benefiting the entire society is created.”
According to the EBAA, environmental sustainability has long been a major concern for an industry that has responded by achieving a 40 percent reduction in emissions over the past four decades. “Today, our sector remains a leader and catalyst for innovation as we enter a new sustainable era for aviation,” Kok concluded.