Airline sector to make do with fossil fuels

Adair Turner, chairman of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), has acknowledged that the aviation sector may be an area in which fossil fuels have to be used, highlighting that we are looking to achieve a 'low carbon economy' and not a 'zero-carbon economy'.

At present the UK and EU government budgets for cutting carbon emissions do not stretch to the aviation sector. However, this looks set to change in the near future as governments are facing increasing pressures to include this sector in their budget regimes.

As early as next year the EU could offer airlines financial incentives to reduce their carbon footprint. It is estimated that the aviation sector emits around 3% of the world's total CO2 emissions.

In March next year the CCC is due to publish a paper outlining the pros and cons if the UK moved to include aviation in its carbon budgets.

And while some airlines such as KLM, Lufthansa, United, British Airways and Virgin have been running test flights on biofuel blends, Turner says the issue surrounding sustainability of such biofuels would make it difficult to decarbonise the aviation sector.