Novel, but promising

In addition to vehicular emissions, primarily from cars, buses and trucks, airplanes also leave a substantial carbon footprint. Aviation contributes about 2.5 per cent of total annual emissions of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, ozone, methane, water vapor and nitrogen oxide and contrails (water vapor that condenses around the soot from the aircraft’s exhaust). Shipping contributes to 3 per cent of total annual emissions, which include carbon dioxide and oxides of sulphur and nitrogen. However, since shipping carries almost 80 per cent of the international cargo, its impact per unit of cargo/passengers carried is much smaller than that of the aviation sector.

Emissions from the aviation sector

Emissions from the aviation sector are growing fast because of the rising number of passengers flying by air which, in turn, is because of the increasing affordability of air travel across the world. In 2023, there were 28,400 aircraft in the world, which carried out 4.5 billion journeys, in addition to carting cargo all over the world.

Ever since the publication of a study titled Special Report on Aviation and the Global Atmosphere, prepared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 1999 at the request of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), many initiatives have been taken to reduce emissions in the sector. The ICAO has committed to reach net zero emissions by the year 2050. In addition, 191 member countries also agreed to curb emissions from aviation through a scheme called CORSIA (Carbon Offset and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation). This allows airlines to offset their emissions by investing in schemes that sequester carbon.

The USA has taken initiatives to curb emissions from aviation through tax credits and grants under the Inflation Reduction Act. For example, it had set aside USD 3.3 billion in 2022 to increase the production of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), which is more environment friendly and can be blended with normal aviation fuel. The EU has similarly set a target for a minimum amount of SAF to be blended. The UK announced its Jet Zero pledge in 2022 to support SAF projects. In addition, NASA is working with Boeing on improving the design of airplanes, with a focus on placement of engines, wing’s aerodynamics and width of the fuselage. Interestingly, Boeing is working on ‘winglets’ and Airbus on ‘sharklets’, which are nothing but small airfoils that extend from the wingtips and improve fuel efficiency and reduce drag. They have been inspired by the wings of large birds, in which the wing vertebrae are less pronounced at the tips, allowing more flexibility and increasing speed. Paul Hawken in his book ‘Drawdown’ mentions a research project by MIT, which is working on fuel saving during taxiing, takeoff and landing. It found that taxiing on a single engine can save substantial fuel on the ground.

Shipping sector

It is well known that more than 80 per cent of global trade takes place on ships. And all ships are totally dependent on fossil fuels. As noted above, the maritime sector is responsible for about 3 per cent of annual emissions in the world. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has pledged to reach Net Zero emissions by 2050. This will be achieved by improved fuels and better designed and efficient ships. While the EU has introduced the FuelEU Regulation to limit greenhouse gas emissions from the Shipping Sector, the US, through the Inflation Reduction Act has provided direct support for port emissions reduction. Other initiatives in the sector include the Sustainable Shipping Initiative, which is a partnership between the largest 15 shipping companies, the World Wildlife Fund and Forum for the Future, to create a ‘green’ shipping sector by 2040. In another collaboration, the company RightShip and the Carbon War Room, came up with a rating system for all commercial vessels based on the carbon dioxide emitted.

In terms of new designs, Japan, Korea and China have taken the lead in improving designs, by using lighter material and improving fuel efficiency. There is also a move to build ships that are ‘ammonia ready’, i.e. which use Ammonia as fuel, hydrogen ready and methanol dual fuel ships. For example, AP Moller-Maersk, one of the biggest shipping companies in the world, announced 19 methanol dual-fuel containerships on order as of October 2022 for delivery between 2023 and 2025. Other companies such as CMA CGM, Cosco and Cargill. also gave similar orders. In all, in 2022, 90 (11 per cent by tonnage) new-build orders were for ammonia-ready vessels, 43 (7 per cent) were for methanol vessels and 3 were for hydrogen-ready vessels.

Conclusion

The Aviation and Maritime sectors were not a part of the international climate change negotiations for long. However, they have come on board after the Paris Agreement and have voluntarily fixed 2050 for reaching Net Zero emissions. In both sectors, fuel efficiency, design and between maintenance will be key to reaching the stated objectives.

The writer is Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Mass Education Extension and Library Services and Department of Cooperation, Government of West Bengal