How to Get to Net Zero in Aviation

Aviation is fundamental to the world economy and keeping people connected – even during a pandemic. The sector contributes more than 4% of global GDP, but it also accounts for around 3% of man-made carbon emissions and this could rise without action [1].

Today Shell and Deloitte jointly publish a report designed to establish a plan for action: Decarbonising Aviation: Cleared for Take-off? and Shell backs this up with its new commitment to be a leading producer of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).

If the world is to fly and emit less everyone must work together now to reduce the cost of and increase the supply of sustainable aviation fuel, build engagement with carbon offsets and innovate around future technologies.

Decarbonising aviation: cleared for take-off

Since 2020, Shell and Deloitte have brought together more than 300 global business leaders from Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific to explore the unique challenges and potential solutions for the harder-to-abate transport sectors: shipping, road freight and now, aviation.

Based on insights obtained by talking to more than 100 aviation business leaders and industry experts, the report outlines 15 solutions that can be applied between now and 2030 to help the sector decarbonise.

Key highlights from the Decarbonising Aviation: Cleared for Take-off report include:

• Aviation has often been considered a sector that will decarbonise later than others. This attitude should be replaced by a greater sense of ambition.
• Choosing SAF as the primary means of decarbonisation has the advantage of avoiding the need to redesign aircraft or airport infrastructure.
• More ambitious efforts are required and investments must start sooner if SAF is to be adopted at scale within 15 years.
• The uptake of certified carbon offsets must significantly increase in the short term, so they can play as full a role as possible in the early stages of decarbonisation.
• In parallel, there is a need to invest in less mature propulsion technologies like electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft, and for these to play a role in short-haul flights before 2050.

Navigating the ups and downs

This approach aligns with Shell’s strategy to transition our business to net-zero emissions. We are working closely with customers to reduce carbon emissions sector by sector, in a way that makes commercial sense for all.

Having now led Shell’s “Sectors & Decarbonisation” business?for nine months, I can tell you that such work is challenging, but also highly rewarding.

The aviation sector is a perfect example of this combination of great rewards and serious challenges. Fortunately, some key industry players – including several airlines – are showing leadership by taking action as part of their commitments to be net zero by 2050.

Shell is playing its part. We have announced a new ambition to produce around 2 million tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) a year by 2025. We also aim to have at least 10% of our global aviation fuel sales as SAF by 2030.

SAF has the potential to cut life-cycle emissions from aviation by up to 80% when used neat [2]. But it currently accounts for less than 0.1% of the world’s use of aviation fuel [3].

Achieving our new ambition will make Shell a leading global producer of SAF. Even more importantly, it will allow us to support the decarbonisation of the entire aviation sector by making SAF more readily available.

Now is the time for the industry to soar

If you’re interested in decarbonising the global economy, read the Decarbonising Aviation: Cleared for Take-off report yourself, take the research on board, and consider how these insights can benefit your own day-to-day businesses. Share your thoughts with me.

Those of us involved in aviation may have different ways of working, but we all share the need to decarbonise. The sector has a chance to reset after the global shock of the pandemic. I believe that by working together, we can make aviation fit for a net-zero world.

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Read Decarbonising Aviation: Cleared for Take-off at www.shell.com/DecarbonisingAviation.

[1] Shell and Deloitte. “Decarbonising Aviation: Cleared for Take-off.” 2021.

[2] Source: International Air Transport Association.

[3] Source: World Economic Forum.