On Friday, UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps unveiled the “Jet Zero Council”, a new national initiative aimed at driving down carbon emissions.
Though shy on detail, he said that the group will bring together leaders from aviation, environmental groups and government, and will be charged with “making net zero emissions possible for future flights”.
Speaking at the government’s daily coronavirus briefing, Secretary Shapps said that the plan was to push the transport and aviation sector towards a “greener restart”, as it looks to reboot in the wake of the pandemic.
Noting that the British aviation industry had faced an “impossible few months”, he said that Jet Zero would nevertheless look to make carbon-neutral trans-Atlantic flight a reality “within a generation”.
Airlines UK, the industry association representing UK-registered carriers, welcomed the announcement.
“There are huge opportunities for the UK to be a world-leader in sustainable aviation fuels production and electric aviation, creating thousands of high-skilled jobs and major export opportunities in the process,” said group chief executive officer, Tim Alderslade, in a statement.
Karen Dee, chief executive at the Airport Operators Association (AOA), said that the new council would help “make net zero carbon emissions for the aviation industry a reality”.
“Funding for sustainable aviation fuels will help to pump-prime an entirely new industry, generating new jobs and economic growth, while reducing emissions from international aviation,” she said. “UK airports are doing all they can to reduce the carbon emissions from the operation on the ground, the announcement today will help industry meet its commitments in the sky as well.”
The news comes as part of the UK’s broader push to go carbon-neutral by 2050. The government’s recent £2 billion investment in transport infrastructure is accordingly tied to sustainability initiatives, including a raft of grants for green businesses around the country.
On Friday, Secretary Shapps also took the opportunity to announce fresh government funding to announce a £500,000 waste-to-jet-fuel facility located in Lincolnshire.
