How Is KR 1.5 Tracking?
Global aviation accounts for more than 1 gigaton of annual carbon emissions. We’re aiming for a steady reduction.
While batteries can power light aircraft for short trips, they may never be adequate for larger jets that account for the lion’s share of miles flown.
The challenge is to find drop-in replacement fuels that can cut emissions while competing on cost with today’s fossil fuel equivalent. One solution is to use biofuels recycled from cooking oil made from plants that absorb carbon from the atmosphere as they are grown.
Innovation is needed for better solutions (see KR 9.5). Current sustainable aviation fuels only partly offset emissions from their own combustion, falling short of the 100 percent mark required to be “carbon neutral.” To fly guilt-free in the decades ahead, our airplanes need to be powered by carbon-neutral fuels.
Data for KR 1.5 is sourced from the latest International Air Transportation Association (IATA) Aviation Fact Sheet.