"Heathrow airport has called on the government to mandate the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) to help lower carbon emissions amid growing pressure from climate groups.
In a statement this morning, the airport said it's also looking at other policies that would scale up production of sustainable fuels in the UK, including a price support mechanism and loan guarantees.
John Holland-Kaye, Heathrow chief executive, said: “We should aim for 2019 to have been the peak year for fossil-fuel use in global aviation.”
The demand comes as debate intensifies over how to tackle the challenge of lowering air travel’s carbon footprint – and who pays for it. Last week, the airline industry’s main lobby group adopted a target of eliminating carbon emissions on a net basis by 2050.
Increasingly, the industry has rallied around SAFs – which the latest jets can easily accommodate – as one way to cut back on the use of conventional fuel. However, it is expensive and still produced in only limited amounts.
Mr Holland-Kaye called on the UK to set an example as it hosts the coming COP26 climate conference at the end of this month, and said an acceleration of SAF use “will protect the benefits of flying for future generations.”" |