FLY GREEN !by Ananya Singh | 29-04-2019 14:54 |
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2.jpeg) For many businesses, it¡¯s go green or go home. Sustainability is a big deal, and unfortunately, the environmental impact of tourism and aviation is huge. So when it comes to sustainability in air travel, it¡¯s ¡°go green or stay home¡±. People aren¡¯t going to stay home, though. More and more people are flying, and International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that air travel growth will double to 8 billion passengers by 2035. The airline industry has come up with a lot of initiatives to manage its impact on the environment, such as powering flights with fuel alternatives, introducing carbon offsetting programs for customers and improving aircraft design. But which airlines are making the most positive impact when it comes to going green? In 2009, IATA adopted a set of targets to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from air transport.
IATA has called for a commitment from all stakeholders to achieve these targets through ¡°the four-pillar strategy¡±:
Data shared by IATA tells us that flights produce 2% of all CO2 emissions caused by humans. Etihad Airways has completed the world's first commercial flight using locally produced sustainable fuel that is derived from plants grown in saltwater. Khalifaa University, Etihad Airways, Boeing, Adnoc, Safran, GE, and Bauer Resources worked together to develop a comprehensive sustainable aviation fuel value chain. The flight from Abu Dhabi to Amsterdam, on an Etihad Airways Boeing 787 powered by GE's GEnx-1B engines, marked a major milestone in the development of a clean, alternative aviation fuel to reduce carbon emissions. The initiative also addresses food security in the UAE through the farming of seafood as a core element in the process. Sustainable fuel for the flight was derived from oil in Salicornia plants, which were grown on the two-hectare Seawater Energy and Agriculture System (SEAS) farm in Masdar City. The SEAS is the world's first desert ecosystem designed to produce fuel and food in saltwater. Fish and shrimp raised at the facility provide nutrients for the plants as well as contribute to the UAE's food production. Using sustainable feedstock to produce the fuel significantly reduces life-cycle carbon dioxide emissions compared to fossil fuel. The biofuel is blended directly with jet fuel and does not require any modifications to aircraft, engines or airport fuelling delivery systems. The unique initiative also bolsters the oil and gas industry by using existing refining infrastructure, with the potential to become an important new option for sustainable aviation fuel in the future. Sustainable aviation fuel represents a significant opportunity to help aviation meet its goals to cap the growth of carbon emissions by 2020 and cut levels to half of what they were in 2005 by 2050. |
