Mobility
Aviation on the way to the green (2021/06/22)
The aviation industry wants to reduce pollutant emissions. In the short term, modernisation of fleets and sustainable fuels will help; in the long term, hydrogen is moving into focus.
The aviation industry has several measures at its disposal to improve its climate footprint
Although aviation is only responsible for about 3% of global CO2 emissions, it is considered a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. In the course of global climate protection efforts, these are to be significantly reduced in the coming years and brought to zero in the long term. In addition to improvements in wing, tail unit and fuselage technologies, the focus is particularly on aircraft propulsion technology. At present, this is mainly based on the combustion of fossil fuels, which releases CO2. However, water vapour, nitrogen oxide emissions, direct and indirect aerosol effects and condensation trails also have a negative impact on the climate. The climate impacts of the non-CO2 effects are strongly dependent on the flight altitude, the geographical location and the time of emission (i.e. the daily or seasonal cycle and the current weather conditions).
Read the report: Aviation on the way to the green - Megatrend energy and climate change