Govt report identifies 34 ways to reduce GA carbon footprint

The carbon footprint of General Aviation aircraft flying in the UK is estimated at 795 million kilogrammes, according to a report issued by the Department for Transport.

Most of that total, taken from 2019, is produced by business aviation with 75%, leaving around 200 million kg produced by other General Aviation flying.

Another 15.5 million kg is generated by ground infrastructure such as emissions from ground vehicles, electricity consumption and natural gas.

The report goes on to identify 24 separate solutions for decarbonising ground infrastructure such as:

• Improving operational procedures to reduce energy wastage
• Behaviour change and renewable electricity tariffs
• Technology-based solutions like electric vehicles, heat pumps and localised hangar heating.

“We estimate that the low-cost solutions that are easy to implement could deliver approximately 25% of the decarbonisation required by 2050,” said the report compiled by the Frazer-Nash Consultancy for the DfT.

“The remaining 75% will involve either significant cost or the removal of other significant barriers to implementation. However, all technologies required, exist today and are already proven.”

Ten solutions for decarbonising aircraft flights are also listed though the report’s authors admit, “Decarbonising aircraft emissions is far more challenging.

“We identified 10 separate solutions for aircraft, ranging from moderate cost solutions like improving aircraft traffic management, sustainable aviation fuels and conducting more training via flight simulators, to high-cost solutions like aircraft engine replacement and new types of aircraft powered by electricity and hydrogen where these become commercially and operationally viable.”

The report is part of the UK government’s commitment to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2050. Its aims are to establish a carbon baseline for GA, to identify existing infrastructure, future opportunities for decarbonisation and green infrastructure, the cost of green infrastructure and make recommendations to help the sector decarbonise.

“The GA carbon footprint is dominated by emissions from aircraft, with the total GA emissions being 795 kt* CO2e emitted in 2019,” according to the report.

“Business flights are responsible for approximately 75% of these.

“Emissions from ground infrastructure, whilst comparatively small, are still significant at around 15.5 kt CO2e, dominated by emissions from ground vehicles, electricity consumption and natural gas.”

*kt = kilotonne. 1 kilotonne = 1m kg

Click here to download the Decarbonising General Aviation report