Publication

Climate-Neutral Global Aviation - are we on the right track?

Sascha Nick
2022
Media
Abstract

Is climate-neutral aviation even possible, what would it look like, and how do we get there? It is difficult to imagine effective international climate action without making aviation climate-neutral, due to its significant and growing climate impact, and the symbolic value of an activity mostly serving the world’s richest 1% of people using a disproportionate share of society’s resources. Both major aviation organizations, IATA, representing airlines, and ICAO, representing countries, officially endorse the goal of net zero aviation by 2050. Their past and current actions, however, are not supporting reaching the goal. We explore what action is required for this hard to decarbonize but important sector, and model a pathway towards towards true climate neutrality for global aviation.

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Related concepts (18)
Civil aviation
Civil aviation is one of two major categories of flying, representing all non-military and non-state aviation, both private and commercial. Most countries in the world are members of the International Civil Aviation Organization and work together to establish common Standards and Recommended Practices for civil aviation through that agency. Civil aviation includes three major categories: Commercial air transport, including scheduled and non-scheduled passenger and cargo flights Aerial work, in which an aircraft is used for specialized services such as agriculture, photography, surveying, search and rescue, etc.
Aviation
Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. Aircraft includes fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air craft such as hot air balloons and airships. Aviation began in the 18th century with the development of the hot air balloon, an apparatus capable of atmospheric displacement through buoyancy.
Commercial aviation
Commercial aviation is the part of civil aviation that involves operating aircraft for remuneration or hire, as opposed to private aviation. Commercial aviation is not a rigorously defined category. All commercial air transport and aerial work operations are regarded as commercial aviation, as well as some general aviation flights. Commercial air transport is defined as an aircraft operation involving the transport of passengers, cargo or mail for remuneration or hire. It includes scheduled and non-scheduled air transport operations.
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