The news
Chinese authorities this week announced a greater focus on sustainable aviation fuels, opening the country’s first center for industrial research and regulation, with the company aiming to become a global market leader.
China’s aviation emissions are about half those of the US, but could “quadruple” by 2050 in a scenario where the average distance passengers travel continues to rise, Carbon Brief reported in 2020.
SIGNALS
A comprehensive strategy from China could boost the industry
Airlines have been slow to transition away from fossil fuels due to high costs and limited feedstock and product support. But a clear national strategy from China, which has so far lagged the U.S. and Europe in setting mandates for greener jet fuel sources, could provide a boost to global efforts, Cathay Pacific’s sustainability manager told Bloomberg. A broad target of making just 1% of jet fuel sustainable could be enough to get the industry moving, an energy researcher told Dialogue Earth in 2023, with additional costs — SAFs are two to six times more expensive than fossil fuels — accounted for by raising ticket prices on popular routes or business class travel.
But sustainable aviation may not exist at all
Despite all the fuss, SAFs are not a “magic bullet,” a group of climate experts argued in The Conversation: they rely heavily on biofuels, which require such large amounts of renewable energy and biomass to produce that other industries undergoing a green transition risk losing those resources. SAFs may also not be carbon neutral, as their production requires emissions-intensive machinery, fertilizers and technology, and the widespread destruction of rainforests to grow crops, the experts said. Ultimately, the science suggests that there is “no such thing” as sustainable aviation, one economist told the BBC, adding that while “politically and socially unpleasant,” the best solution is to reduce demand for flights worldwide and increase taxes on the aviation industry.
