United Kingdom’s ‘Jet Zero’ scheme

The U.K. aims to drive down greenhouse gas emissions from aviation to make carbon-free transatlantic flights possible within a generation, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

Key Points

• The Jet Zero aims to bring down greenhouse gas emissions from aviation to make carbon-free transatlantic flights possible within a generation.
• A transatlantic flight is the flight of an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean from Europe, Africa, or the Middle East to North America, Central America, or South America, or vice versa.
• To achieve its target of a net-zero emissions economy by 2050, it is important to cut transport emissions.
• Aviation emissions currently account for more than 2% of global greenhouse gases, and have risen by 70% since 2005.
• The International Civil Aviation Organization forecasts that the emissions will rise another 300% by 2050 in the absence of measures to bring them down.
• The U.K. government is also funding Velocys (aviation biofuels making company) in support of its plans to build a major jet biofuel plant in Lincolnshire.

Jet Zero Council

• A group called ‘Jet Zero Council’ has been formed by the U.K. government by bringing together leaders from the aviation sector, environmental groups and government.
• This group has been given charge for making net zero emissions possible for future flights.

Contribution to GHGs emissions:

• In the year 2018, the aviation sector contributed 2.4 percent of the total CO2 emissions.
• Although this emission volume appears to be lower than other industrial operations, the commercial aviation sector contributes 5 percent of the total global warming.
• Passenger transport contributes 81 percent to GHGs emissions and the remaining 19 percent to freight.

Major emitters of GHGs

• CO2 accounts for about 70% of the total aviation emissions and produces a positive effect on ‘global warming’.
• Its second major emitter is water vapor resulting from consumption of jet fuel. These watersports soon form the nucleus of ‘ice crystals’. Due to which Cirrus clouds are formed.
• Cirrus clouds are small, isolated, hair-like clouds found at high altitudes. And they absorb infrared rays which have a 3 times higher heating effect than CO2.

International Civil Aviation Organization

• It is a specialized agency of the United Nations, which was established in 1944 by the states to manage the operation and administration of the International Civil Aviation Convention (Chicago Convention).
• One of its objectives is to promote the planning and development of international air transport to ensure the safe and orderly growth of international civil aviation worldwide.
• It is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.

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