When it comes to meeting climate protection targets, aviation is under particular scrutiny. 3.5% of all emissions worldwide are attributable to air traffic. Air passenger volume is expected to increase by 3.7% per year, the German Aerospace Center estimated in a 2019 study. Despite Covid-19 and the current constraints imposed by the global security situation, air traffic is expected to increase rather than decrease. All signs point to growth.
The awareness that aviation needs to change is shared by all market participants. Even though, as surveys by the DLR (German Aerospace Center) show, aircraft fuel consumption has been steadily declining since the 1990s.
Graphic reduction in fuel consumption: DLR (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) English translation by SkyTender
Intensive work is being done on further solutions toward zero-emission air travel. Whether innovative aircraft designs or novel fuels – all solutions have 2 things in common: they are cost-intensive and it will take many years before the developments are ready for the market and emission-free flying becomes a reality.
Image: DLR (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
In the meantime, airlines are making do with offsets to meet their responsibilities.
Source: Klimaschutz-Portal.aero, English translation by SkyTender
The SkyTender Solution
Some alternative to offsets, respectively possibilities to reduce the offset costs significantly exist already.
With an innovative beverage trolley, SkyTender Solutions AG has developed an intelligent and sustainable alternative to one major waste and CO² contributor – beverage catering. Instead of serving refreshments from plastic bottles or cans, SkyTender uses post-mix technology to individually prepare each drink at the seat, well chilled and freshly carbonated.
The elimination of the consumer packaging, namely plastic bottles and cans, reduced weight as well as widely shortened supply chain results in a significant reduction in carbon footprint and service cost.
A study by the UNESCO Chair in Life Cycle and Climate Change will soon deliver viable scientific details on the impact and for ESG reporting.
(We thank German Aerospace Center and “Klimaschutz-Portal.aero” for their valuable data!)