Aviation, which is a key driver of economic growth and global connectivity, faces a growing environmental crisis.
Bloomberg BNEF data predicts a significant increase in carbon emissions due to air travel on all continents within the next 30 years.
By 2050, it is estimated that the aviation industry will emit nearly 2 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent — almost double the levels pre-pandemic and four times more than the 1990s.
North America will remain the largest contributor
According to forecasts, North America is expected to continue being the biggest contributor of aviation emissions.
The fastest increase in emissions is expected in Asia, notably in China and India.
The Asia-Pacific region will soon close the gap between North America and the region, which highlights the changing dynamics of global carbon output.
The aviation industry faces major challenges in adopting sustainable practices. While battery technology and alternative fuels are revolutionizing ground transportation, they have not yet transformed the aviation sector.
In the quest to reduce carbon emissions, there has been a delay in developing and implementing eco-friendly solutions.
The growing carbon footprint of the industry calls for collaborative and innovative approaches to reduce it.
Source: Statista
China is the largest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world
Global greenhouse gas emissions are on the rise, which makes it even more urgent to address aviation emissions.
Statista reports that global greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) reached a new record of 53,8 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2022.
Despite the importance of reducing emissions to combat climate changes, CO2 levels are now more than 50% higher than pre-industrial levels.
China’s rapid industrialization, economic expansion and growth will continue to be the largest emitter of carbon dioxide in 2022, with approximately 31% of CO2 emissions from fossil fuels.
Although the United States, Europe and other countries have made progress in reducing their emissions, they still contribute a significant amount to global GHG levels.
Global action is urgently needed
Both the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the International Energy Agency (IEA), have emphasized the urgent need to reduce emissions.
IPCC warns, that in order to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2030, emissions will need to be reduced by 43 percent.
If this target is not met, the carbon budget could be exhausted within five years. This would require a dramatic acceleration of emission reductions.
The IEA Net Zero Scenario highlights the importance of technological solutions such as solar and wind power in achieving emission reductions between 2022-2050.
In order to mitigate temperature increases, it is important that early-stage solutions such as carbon capture and removal are implemented.
Without immediate and coordinated global actions, the world faces an irreversible catastrophe.
In light of the growing carbon footprint in aviation, as well as a general increase in global emissions it is imperative that urgent action be taken.
Aviation must adopt sustainable practices as countries work to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change.
To avert a climate crisis, we will need to work together to innovate, to develop policy, and to reduce emissions at a global level.
This post Global Aviation Emissions to Soar; Projected to Hit 2 Billion metric Tons of CO2 By 2050 may be updated as new information becomes available
