How much does air travel warm the planet? New report gives a figure

(Eco Business, 7 Apr 2022) Researchers calculated that aviation contributes around 4 per cent to human-induced global warming, more than most countries do.

When Milan Klöwer spoke to Mongabay, he was fresh off the train in Germany. As a postdoctoral researcher and climate scientist at the University of Oxford, Klöwer said he does his best to avoid flying in planes — one of the worst climate change culprits.

“We’re climate scientists and we try to also lower our own carbon footprint,” Klöwer said, “taking an airplane is the one activity which probably unites all of science in terms of where we are really high emitters.”

Airplanes emit around 100 times more CO2 than a shared bus or train ride, and the emissions of global aviation are around 1 billion tonnes of CO2 per year — more than the emissions of most countries, including Germany. Aviation contributes an estimated 2.4 per cent of global annual CO2 emissions, most of it from commercial travel.

However, Klöwer said, “Most people think of warming in terms of degrees, not tonnes of carbon emitted, so we wanted to calculate that.”

In a recent study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, Klöwer and his colleagues calculated that aviation contributes around 4 per cent to human-induced global warming and is projected to cause about 0.1° Celsius (0.2° Fahrenheit) of warming by 2050 if aviation continues growing at pre-pandemic rates.

Not; you need to login (free of charge) to the Ecobusiness website to access the full article.

External link

Eco Business, 7 Apr 2022: How much does air travel warm the planet? New report gives a figure

More Related News

Airline emissions

12 Apr 2024: UK startup lifts lid on plan to turn human waste into jet fuel

22 Mar 2024: Europe’s transport sector set to make up almost half of the continent’s emissions in 2030

12 Mar 2024: KPMG & Accenture, GSK failing to keep up with industry leaders in cutting corporate travel emissions

5 Mar 2024: Will national teams become champions for sustainable travel during Euro 2024?

9 Feb 2024: The world is reducing its reliance on fossil fuels – except for in three key sectors

2 Feb 2024: Weatherwatch: study makes green case for electric planes

2 Feb 2024: Hanoi flights halted as city faces worsening air pollution

19 Dec 2023: Greenwashing cases against airlines in Europe, US

19 Dec 2023: Europe wins big on green fuels for planes and ships

19 Dec 2023: Half of global companies have cut their business flights in two since Covid

15 Dec 2023: Flying hurts the planet but it’s vital for island tourism. Is there a greener way?