Sustainability in the spotlight

Haldane Dodd, executive director of the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), says it best: “Aviation helps drive the development of the modern world.” However, this does come at a cost…

According to ATAG – a coalition of aviation industry experts focusing on sustainable development issues – if aviation was a country, it would be the 17^th largest economy in the world – contributing nearly US$3.5 trillion in economic impact. At the same time, flying is one of the most carbon-intensive activities, as OurWorldInData.org explains: “Aviation accounts for 2.5% of global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. But it has contributed around 4% to global warming to date.”

Keeping an eye on the prize

The industry isn’t simply flying ahead blindly, as many players are banding together to address and enhance sustainability within this sector. This was evident at the recent Group of 20 (G20)* Energy Transitions Ministerial Meeting held in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, from 1 to 4 October 2024. The meeting gave significant recognition to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) – a United Nations agency that helps 193 countries to cooperate and share their skies to their mutual benefit – for its efforts to decarbonise the aviation sector.

At the roundtable on “Unlocking Future Fuels” on 3 October, ICAO secretary general Juan Carlos Salazar emphasised the importance of sustainable aviation fuels and clean energies in achieving ICAO’s “Long-term global aspirational goal (LTAG) of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050”.

“We are already witnessing significant progress across the fuel industry value chain, and this is just the beginning,” said Salazar. He highlighted the fact that 125 airports are now distributing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) globally, with more than 330 facilities producing it. SAF is currently approved for up to 50% blending with conventional jet fuel, with aims for 100% SAF commercial operations in the near future.

Salazar also participated in the G20 Special Session on “Sustainable Fuels, Chemicals and Materials” on 4 October, where he emphasised the importance of the “ICAO Global Framework for SAF, Lower Carbon Aviation Fuels (LCAF), and other Aviation Cleaner Energies”. This framework, adopted at the third ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative Fuels in Dubai last November, aims to facilitate the global scale-up in the development, production, and deployment of cleaner aviation energies.

“Through this framework, ICAO and its member states will strive to reduce international aviation CO₂ emissions by 5% by 2030, through the use of aviation cleaner energies,” Salazar asserted.

New tech to help tackle challenges

Various other industry players are also doing their part to curb emissions from air transport. A stellar example of this is a partnership between Airbus UpNext – a wholly-owned subsidiary of Airbus – and Toshiba Energy Systems and Solutions, Toshiba Group’s energy arm, to develop a two-megawatt superconducting motor for future hydrogen-powered aircraft. 

In the quest to decarbonise the aviation industry, hydrogen-powered aircraft are one of the promising solutions to help achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Superconducting technologies offer a unique advantage for these aircraft, using -253°C liquid hydrogen both as a fuel and to efficiently cool the electric propulsion systems. Cryogenic technology could allow for a nearly unimpaired power transmission within the electric systems of the aircraft, significantly improving energy efficiency and performance. 

“Partnering with Toshiba presents a unique opportunity to push beyond the limitations of today’s partial superconducting and conventional electrical motors. Through this collaboration, we aim to deliver a breakthrough technology that could unlock new design possibilities, in particular for Airbus’ future hydrogen-powered aircraft. This partnership represents a natural and essential step in advancing superconducting motor technology to meet the needs of the aerospace industry,” said Grzegorz Ombach, Airbus senior vice president and head of disruptive research and technology. 

“Toshiba’s expertise in superconducting technology for high current flow; motor drive technology for precise current control; and advanced rotating machinery technology for stable, high-speed operation forms a strong foundation for this partnership,” said Tsutomu Takeuchi, Toshiba’s corporate officer, responsible for the Power Systems business, and director of Toshiba Energy Systems and Solutions. “We both recognise the tremendous potential of superconducting technologies in shaping the future of aircraft and driving the decarbonisation of the aviation industry. We are confident that our collaboration with Airbus will play a key role in advancing next-generation technologies for the aerospace sector.”

Sustainability has been firmly set in the spotlight thanks to these advances, which should help aviation to drive the efficient development of the modern world.

* The G20, established in 1999, is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 sovereign countries, the European Union, and the African Union (which joined in 2023). Together, these members account for 78.9% of the world’s population and 83.9% of global CO₂ emissions from fossil energy. The G20 aims to address major issues related to the global economy, such as international financial stability, climate change mitigation, and sustainable development.