Navigating Sustainable Skies: Challenges and Strategies for Greener Aviation

Aviation, crucial for global connectivity, significantly contributes to climate change, accounting for 2.5 percent of human-induced CO2 emissions and 3.5 percent of overall human-made changes to the energy balance in the Earth’s atmosphere. The sector’s CO2 emissions have doubled since the mid-1980s, with projections indicating a potential tripling of demand by 2050, underscoring the urgency of greener solutions to balance economic benefits with environmental impacts. However, challenges abound, such as the high costs and sustainability concerns of sustainable aviation fuel, the limited capabilities of alternative technologies, such as hydrogen and electric aircraft, and the need for extensive infrastructure and international collaboration. The report offers an overview of different alternatives for greener aviation and the associated challenges, discusses policy approaches, and highlights areas for future research to effectively reduce the sector’s environmental footprint.