As the business aviation community resets its sustainability goals with a march toward net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050, Europe and the U.S. alike are moving towards broader environmental mandates with similar goals and an array of potential taxes, incentives, and research projects under discussion, according to GAMA director of government affairs Marc Ehudin. Speaking yesterday in Dallas at AIN’s Building a Sustainable Flight Department forum, Ehudin provided an overview of the industry’s efforts against the backdrop of actions either already being taken or under consideration in the EU, UK, and U.S.
Europe is developing a Fit for 55 proposal that calls for a reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030 with an ambition of being a climate-neutral continent by 2050. It hopes to achieve this through mandates, one of which would involve a carbon tax that would begin at the equivalent of $1.78 per gallon of fuel for business aviation in 2023 and continue from there.
Meanwhile, the UK is planning for Jet Zero to achieve net-zero for aviation by 2050 that is looking at flexibility with multiple solutions, international leadership, and partnership. In the U.S., a number of stepped-up funding for research programs have been floated, as well as initiatives to promote the expansion of SAF.
While the hope in the coming decades is to move away from carbon offsets in favor of use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), electric, hydrogen, or other options, 4Air president Kennedy Ricci called these credits an important tool in the effort to move toward business aviation's carbon-neutrality goal. “There’s no silver bullet within the challenges we face,” Ricci said yesterday during AIN’s Building a Sustainable Flight Department forum. “Each one of these technologies will have a place….[and] an incremental benefit that will play a role in 2050.”
Today, a limited amount of SAF is available, with offsets as the biggest tool available for carbon-neutrality. In the more immediate future, more SAF will be available, but with the growth of flight hours more offsets will be necessary. Longer-range, more tools will be available, from hydrogen to electric to more efficient routing to expansion of on-ground solutions such as solar.
Use of carbon credits is particularly important because carbon is only a portion of the industry's warming impact. “We can neutralize that. We can look at carbon offsets today as a way as a method to negate that impact,” he said. “But that’s not the end goal. Today offsets should be part of the solution, but ideally by 2050 it’s something we shouldn't need to use.”
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California-headquartered Clay Lacy is seeing a slow but growing demand from operators for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), Scott Cutshall, the company’s senior v-p of development and sustainability, told attendees yesterday at AIN’s Building a Sustainable Flight Department forum in Dallas.
Cutshall, who provided an overview on developing a sustainable organization, noted Clay Lacy began carrying the fuel in April at its Southern California FBOs and has since sold less than 10,000 gallons. When the FBO began to offer SAF, “we started getting calls. And people have a lot of questions,” but “It hasn't started to translate into purchases until the last few months.” Interest is increasing, and he expects an uptick next year as more operators budget for it, noting that the price differential has narrowed to 56 cents more per gallon than conventional jet-A in Van Nuys for its 30 percent SAF blend.
Incorporation of SAF is part of a larger effort by Clay Lacy to foster sustainability throughout its business. Clay Lacy moved in that direction because it believes regulations will eventually come surrounding such efforts. Another key reason was to give it a competitive advantage and “this has already proven to be true.” A third reason: “It’s the right thing to do.”
As far as implementation, he said “it all starts with measurement.” The next step is “reduce” and then “replace."
NBAA will begin to accept applications in January for its new Sustainable Flight Department Accreditation Program, with the aim of having the first wave of accreditations seven months later, Stewart D’Leon, NBAA's director of environmental and technical operations, told attendees yesterday at AIN’s Building a Sustainable Flight Department forum in Dallas. D’Leon provided an overview of plans for the program, which will enable business aviation organizations to seek accreditation in any or all of the areas involving flight, operations, ground support, and infrastructure.
NBAA opted for four categories to enable a variety of organizations to participate, not just flight departments, he said. Each category represents an independent accreditation.
Accreditations initially will focus on the CO2 footprint. The program will require organizations to gather data on their carbon footprint, look to areas where they can reduce it, and then rectify areas where they can. For the initial application, participants will evaluate their footprint using a 2019 baseline.
Applications will be available from January to March. At this time, NBAA plans to release guidance material on participation. Then, from March to May, organizations will submit associated documentation. May to August will involve audits of the information, with certifications following in August. NBAA plans to gather data through the process to see where future emissions reductions could be implemented.
To meet its goal of net-zero CO2 emissions, the business aviation industry needs to aim toward use of up to 100 percent of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), according to Megha Bhatia, v-p of sales and marketing for Rolls-Royce’s business aviation segment. Speaking during AIN’s Building A Sustainable Flight Department forum on Wednesday, Bhatia noted that up to 50 percent SAF blend is authorized as a drop-in fuel that meets ASTM standards for jet-A.
Roll-Royce has tested its new engines for 100 percent SAF, including its Pearl 700 engine powering the Gulfstream G700, as well as its Trent 1000, and has a goal of certifying its portfolio of engines for 100 percent SAF by 2023. Getting there, she said, is “less about challenges. It's more about getting more time in the testing phase and accruing hours.” Rolls-Royce is evaluating long-term how SAF affects the life of the engine.
However, one of the benefits that have emerged with the use of SAF is engine efficiency. She noted that SAF has a high-energy density, “which means, when it's used in large percentages, it's actually more efficient for the engine.” This translates into improved fuel burn, less wear on parts, and fewer unscheduled maintenance events, she said.
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