In Toulouse, the aviation world discusses “green aviation”
In a few years, will flying be as environmentally friendly as riding a bicycle? If an airplane emitting no greenhouse gases today seems utopian, the airline industry and representatives of European countries discuss since this Thursday and until Friday, February 4, the question of “green aviation”.
This summit is organized in Toulouse on the initiative of Jean-Baptiste Djebarri, the French Minister of Transport within the framework of the tricolor presidency of the Council of the European Union. This event is due to end on Friday evening on “the Toulouse declaration”in which the signatories will commit to the absence of greenhouse gas emissions in the aviation sector by 2050. Concrete solutions must also be put forward.
Improve engines, find other fuels, go electric
But, as surprising as it may seem, the airline industry does not represent only about 3% of CO2 emissions worldwide. Far behind road transport, for example. Loïc Tribot La Spière is an economist, specialist in air transport: “We chose air transport as a scapegoat, the air sector and aeronautical construction considering that it was despicable, that it polluted. But I draw your attention to the fact that the greenhouse gas emissions produced by the digital are ten to fifteen times greater. Obviously, we will not touch on the problem of online video games.“
The expert continues: “The air sector must show strong signs that it is a virtuous sector. It will therefore go through electricity, and again we will have to see batteries, but also new types of kerosene. We can think about d ‘other approaches: lighten the planes, make them more stealthy.”
In the future we will be in something less carbon. This is good progress, but above all, this sector has no choice, otherwise it would be discriminated against. – Loïc Tribot La Spière, air transport specialist.
Among the other avenues mentioned by aeronautical manufacturers and States during this Aviation Summit: modernization of aircraft engines or an optimization of air routes. Still, a “green” plane will probably be very well perceived by public opinion, because most passengers are now aware of the environmental impact of their journey.
In Toulouse, Adam takes the plane about once a week to go to Paris. On each journey, he has a thought for his ecological impact: “I tell myself that the plane is not terrible, but I have no other means, no other possibility. Afterwards, reduced to the number of passengers, I do not know if there is a big difference with the train.” The difference exists, and it is quite significant. On the Toulouse-Paris line, air transport emits about twenty times more CO2 than the train, according to the European Environment Agency.
“We should simply reduce the air”
But this train ride is a bit complicated as Hugo testifies: “There is always a choice, if I really wanted I could take the train. But it’s getting really complicated, it’s a sacrifice that I’m not yet ready to make. On the other hand, greener planes, in my opinion this is not the solution, we should quite simply reduce air transport. If we had the LGVclearly I wouldn’t even ask myself the question.”
The Covid-19 crisis has made the aviation sector somehow less polluting : in 2021, global air traffic has been halved compared to 2019.