Will Covid be a catalyst for green aviation?
It is a year since Covid-19 first appeared outside of China. Back then it was impossible to foresee the scale of the coronavirus. But 2020 would become the year the world finally sat up and took notice of humans’ impact on the planet. Amidst the gloom there has been some light. When travel all but stopped, the pandemic inadvertently addressed the air pollution issue overnight and allowed us a view of the world with next to no aircraft in the skies. Although an enforced pause, consumer attitudes showed signs of shifting too. By the end of April, internet searches for “How to live a sustainable lifestyle” had increased by more than 4,550%, according to Google Trends. All those wishing to improve their carbon footprint cannot ignore air travel.
By the end of the year, there were also shifts in policy. The Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, announced in November, promises to address the “difficult-todecarbonise” industries such as aviation and shipping. The new Jet Zero Council aims to deliver zero-emission flight by 2050.
According to Our World in Data aviation causes 3.5% of global warming (2018). It may not sound much but another study revealed this equates to a billion tonnes of CO2 produced by airlines. On top of that, research shows that half of aviation’s carbon emissions in 2018 were caused by 1% of the world’s population (with an estimated $100 billion cost of climate damage). It revealed large proportions of people do not fly at all each year. And those who do are from the richest countries. Sadly, it is the developing nations, especially the millions of livelihoods dependent on tourism, that have been the worst affected by pandemic restrictions. The “should we fly” debate is not straightforward, especially when the figures show that cutting air traffic would not affect the majority of travellers, only a tiny minority of “super emitters”, who contribute the vast majority of aviation’s carbon emissions.
Calls for carbon taxes, frequent flyer limits or levies and an end to subsidies will drive airlines to change as well as government-led industry reforms. Meanwhile, ongoing travel bans, the longpredicted recovery of the airline industry, and frayed traveller confidence as a result of Covid-19 continue to keep carbon emissions down.
Ultimately, once movement restrictions are lifted, it will be consumers who influence the nature and speed of tourism’s recovery. And trends suggest many will make far more conscious travel choices than they did pre-pandemic.
Learn more here https://www. sussexgreenliving.co.uk/will-covid-be-acatalyst-for-greener-aviation/
Our next Horsham Climate Café online event is Sat 6 th Feb 2-3.30pm when Peter Desmond will talk about the Circular Economy – new system to fight climate change.
Book a free ticket here https://www. sussexgreenliving.co.uk/events/