2023-07-06 14:23:36
Climate-neutral flying is not possible simply by replacing kerosene with sustainable fuel. A reduction in air traffic would also be necessary. Researchers from the Swiss Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH Zurich) came to this conclusion by analyzing all flight operations, according to a PSI release today. The scientists advise higher airfares.
Also production of fuel as a factor
They not only looked at the emissions that arise when flying itself, but also the emissions that occur in the production of the fuel and the required aviation infrastructure. This is important, according to the researchers in the statement.
Because if one assumes that air traffic will continue to grow as before, the pure CO2 emissions from flights will only account for around 20 percent of the total climate effect according to the calculations up to 2050. The results were published in the journal “Nature Communications”.
According to the study, if aviation wants to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, it must reduce air travel by 0.8 percent every year if we stick with fossil fuels, along with other measures such as storing CO2 in the ground. In 2050 it would then be around 80 percent of today’s volume. If it is possible to switch to more climate-friendly fuels, 0.4 percent per year is sufficient.
price increase demanded
In order to achieve a reduction in air traffic, the scientists pleaded in the communication for an increase in flight prices. “In order to fully compensate for the actual climate impact, a ticket would have to cost around three times as much as it does today,” said study author Romain Sacchi from PSI in the press release.
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