Page 48 - European Energy Innovation - winter 2019 publication

48 Winter 2019 European Energy Innovation

AVIATION DECARBONISATION

Giving wings to renewable
energies

By Dr Martin Cames (pictured), Research Fellow, Energy and Climate Protection Division,
Öko-Institut
Air traffic contributes significantly to transport, the use of fossil fuels in
In the Paris Agreement, countries human-induced global warming. In internal combustion engines can
agreed to reduce greenhouse gas 2017, only 3% of the global population be substituted successively by the
(GHG) emissions with the aim of boarded a plane. Nevertheless, direct use of renewable electricity
holding the global temperature
increase well below 2°C and of air traffic contributes about 5% in electric vehicles. However, in the

making efforts to limit it to 1.5°C to global warming. The objectives aviation sector, electric traction is –

above pre-industrial levels. To of the Paris Agreement are thus due to the distances travelled – only

achieve this goal, the Parties are not achievable without adequate possible in some niche areas such as

aiming to balance anthropogenic reduction contributions from the short-distance flights. From today's

GHG emissions and sinks, or in other aviation sector. Taking into account perspective, there are hardly any

words, to achieve full decarbonisation that air traffic continues to grow alternatives to internal combustion

or carbon neutrality in the second each year by 4% to 5% on average, engines or turbines in aviation. In

half of this century. Since emissions it becomes clear that this is a this respect, full decarbonisation

from aviation and maritime transport challenging task. According to current of air transport can only succeed

are clearly anthropogenic, they fall forecasts of the International Civil if post-fossil fuels are used. This

under the objectives of the Paris Aviation Organization (ICAO), by 2037 means that fuels made from biogenic

Agreement even without being the distances travelled worldwide will resources or renewable electricity are

explicitly mentioned. have doubled in comparison to 2019. particularly important. The central

question here is how such post-fossil

The full decarbonisation of the fuels can be made available to the

aviation sector is unlikely to be extent that they will be needed in the

achieved without a comprehensive aviation sector in the future.

package of policies and instruments,

including technical efficiency While, until about five years ago,

improvements such as tightening the the focus was almost always on

current carbon dioxide (CO2) emission biofuels in this context, renewable
standards for aircraft, operational electricity-based fuels are also being

measures such as improvements in increasingly discussed today. This is

air traffic management and market- because the purported advantages of

based instruments. The latter biofuels became more questionable,

include ICAO’s Carbon Offsets and including their greenhouse gas

Reduction Scheme for International reduction potential, which turned

Aviation (CORSIA) and the EU’s out to be significantly lower than

inclusion of aviation in its Emissions expected when upstream emissions

Trading System. Furthermore, and indirect land use changes are

indirect subsidies such as exempting considered. In addition, biofuels

fossil kerosene from fuel taxes or encounter ethical challenges as the

international flights from value added land needed to produce biofuels

tax (VAT) need to be abolished. often competes with food production

for a population that is growing

In addition, sustainable and carbon worldwide and shifts its consumption

neutral alternatives to fossil fuels patterns to an increasing demand for

must be developed and deployed arable land.

Photo: © Oeko-Institut to achieve the long-term objective In this respect, fuels generated by
of carbon neutrality. In land-based

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