TECHNOLOGY
EVEN ON THE brightest of days , the skies remain a grey area where climate policy is concerned . Earlier this year , the global aviation industry agreed to its first ever carbon emissions standard , which will require a four percent reduction in the fuel consumption of newly-manufactured aircraft starting in 2028 , with 2015 usage serving as the baseline .
However , doubts remain as to whether the measure will have any significant impact on the industry ’ s carbon footprint . While the recent success of the Solar Impulse aircraft shows that sustainable aviation is possible , zero-fuel commercial flight is still a long way off . For now , replacing jet fuel with a renewable alternative appears to be the most practical way to reduce an aircraft ’ s CO2 emissions .
“ The problem that the airline industry faces is this : they know they emit very large quantities of green house
14 August 2016