Aircraft sold by Airbus in 2019 and 2020 will emit more than 1bn tonnes of carbon dioxide over their lifetime, according to first-line estimates of the aerospace manufacturer’s emissions.
Airbus sold a record 863 aircraft in 2019, which would translate to 740m tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent over a 22-year period, according to figures seen by the Guardian. They sold 566 aircraft last year, with life-saving emissions of 440m tonnes.
The figures highlight the scale of the decarbonisation challenge for the Aircraft aircraft manufacturing duopoly and its U.S. rival Boeing. Airplanes account for about 1.9% of global greenhouse gas emissions but its share is expected to rise rapidly after easing coronavirus restrictions and enabling more people in poor countries to fly.
Intense emissions of Airbus products fell from 66.6g of CO2 equivalent per passenger kilometer in 2019 to 63.5g in 2020. Airbus, which operates in distributed factories from its base in Toulouse, France, to the UK, USA and China, said this makes airplanes more efficient even as the pandemic has collapsed. .
Julie Kitcher, a member of Airbus’ executive committee who oversees sustainability and communications, said: “Despite the crisis, we are accelerating the roadmap into disarmament. ”
She said the announcements were the worst possible scenario of possible emissions as sustainable fuel could cut real aircraft emissions.
The independently analyzed publications mark the first time Airbus has published an estimate of the carbon emissions generated by their commercial aircraft. These are part of the area 3 emissions, compared to direct emissions from company equipment (area 1) or rooted emissions in purchased energy (range 2).
The scope 3 announcements will come as scrutiny of company releases by the public, governments and investors expands. They will put pressure on Boeing to reveal its releases.
The release of emissions is seen as an important first step on the long road to a zero net economy but Airbus said it had not yet set a science-based target for cutting its carbon emissions.
The aviation industry has an unrealistic target to reach net zero between 2060 and 2065, long after the 2050 deadline needed to limit global warming to just 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
Airbus, Boeing, and engine manufacturers such as Rolls-Royce UK are working on zero-emission shifts, as do a much smaller crowd of competitors. Some smaller electric planes are close to production and Airbus hopes to launch their first hydrogen-powered planes by 2035. Zero emission technology for flights is a long way off.
Airbus has halved its emissions per passenger kilometer since 1990, through improved aerodynamics, more efficient engines and lighter, stronger materials. However, other cuts in emissions will be more difficult to achieve.
Kitcher acknowledged that Airbus’ plans to cut emissions would rely heavily on stable air fuel (SAF), synthesized kerosene extracted from renewable facilities. SAF would still emit amounts similar to CO2 but theoretically it would cause net zero emissions over its life cycle.
About half of Airbus’ plan for net zero emissions by 2050 depends on SAF, 42% from new technologies and the rest from more efficient aircraft management. Similarly, Boeing has pledged to test all of their planes for 100% SAF deployment by 2030, after testing them.
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Andrew Murphy, aviation director at the Transport & Environment campaign group, welcomed the prospect of better air emissions distribution. He said, however, that non-CO2 heating effects such as those caused by flight paths should also be mentioned. Neo-CO2 impacts heat the planet more than carbon, according to an EU study.
He also said that SAF could be viable but would take joint action with governments and industry over the next decade to scale it steadily to anywhere near the required levels.
The slow action meant that the aviation industry is likely to be heavily reliant on combating controversial fuel for the next decade, he said.
“This sector is very connected,” he said. “The only thing the sector can do for the next 10 years is reduce growth.”