The Sustainable Aviation Coalition To Invest Over $2.5M In Greenhouse Gas Removals

UK aviation industry body Sustainable Aviation has announced plans to invest over $2.5 million (£2 million) in Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR) credits to support the early development of this emerging market.

Operating as a coalition of industry stakeholders, Sustainable Aviation brings together UK airlines, airports, aerospace manufacturers, fuel producers, and partners, united on a mission of delivering net zero carbon aviation by 2050 and minimizing the aviation sector’s noise and air quality impacts.

The news of the GGR initiative was shared at the Sustainable Skies World Summit. At the event, Sustainable Aviation announced the launch of an Advanced Market Signal that will support the advancement and scaling of GGR solutions.

With this motion, coalition members are acting now to support this scalable plan, recognizing that the aviation sector will need to both reduce emissions and utilize GGR to address its hard-to-abate footprint. 

Coalition members that have contributed towards the Advance Market Signal include Airbus, British Airways, London Gatwick Airport, Heathrow Airport, London Luton Airport, Manchester Airports Group, and NATS.

Experts expect that by 2050, the UK aviation sector will likely require around 20-30 million tonnes of removals per year to mitigate residual emissions and reach sector-level net zero goals.

To achieve these targets, the sector will need to rely on GGR solutions, along with other climate-oriented actions, such as airspace modernisation, next generation aircraft, zero-carbon flight technology, hydrogen, and Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).

The Sustainable Aviation will also work on addressing the sector’s non-CO2 environmental impact, such as contrails and nitrogen oxides.

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The coalition has released a position paper outlining the future steps of its net-zero strategy, which will include implementing real-time CO2 emissions sensors on planes, prioritizing SAF on long-haul flights, optimizing flight paths, and expert collaboration with scientists.

Duncan McCourt, Chief Executive of Sustainable Aviation, commented, “Scaling Greenhouse Gas Removals is essential for hard-to-abate sectors, and this Advanced Market Signal is the aviation industry acting now to help stimulate the growth of the GGR sector.”

“We have also made clear today that the aviation industry supports action to address the non-CO2 impact of aviation. By accelerating research, trials, and collaboration, we can deliver practical solutions that reduce aviation’s full climate impact.”

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