Airlines IAG to fly with zero emissions by 2050

As being one of the largest airline groups in the world, IAG sees its responsibility to climate change and has therefore announced plans to cut carbon emissions of its airlines by 2050. By doing so, the group contributes to the government´s commitment to a net zero carbon economy.

Also, the group commits to the limit of global warming of 1.5 degrees, which was set up by the United Nations. IAG was instrumental, when the UN first introduced CORSIA, the first global carbon offsetting scheme.

IAG has released numerous environmental initiatives that will help the group to achieve its goal of zero emissions by 2050. Firstly, British Airways will offset carbon emissions for all its domestic flights from 2020.

Then, the group plans to invest US$ 400 million in sustainable aviation fuel projects in the next 20 years. This also includes the partnership between British Airways and specialist company Velocys. The companies seek to build the first household waste to jet fuel plant in Europe.

IAG will also remain to constantly replace older aircraft in the fleet with new aircraft. Over the next five years alone, the group´s airlines will take delivery of 142 new state-of-the-art aircraft. These are up to 25% more carbon efficient that those they replace, stated IAG.

Willie Walsh, IAG’s chief executive, said: “Today aviation represents two per cent of global CO2 emissions. We’re investing in new aircraft and innovative technology to reduce our carbon footprint in an industry where there’s no current alternative to jet fuel [...] In addition to our own initiatives, there must be a global solution and we’re participating in the new United Nations’ aviation offsetting scheme which allows our industry to invest in carbon reduction in other sectors.”

The group will also continue to explore new carbon capture technologies by partnering up to US company Mosaic Materials. The start-up company has created an innovation adsorbent material to take out CO2 emissions directly from the atmosphere, explained IAG.

“Aviation’s dependency on fossil fuels means that it’s essential that governments support its efforts to decarbonise by providing incentives to accelerate investment in new technologies. Global warming needs a global solution and all these initiatives will help limit the world’s temperature increase to 1.5 degrees,” Walsh concluded.