WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Top executives at major US airlines will meet on Friday with two key White House advisers on efforts to reduce carbon emissions and use renewable fuels, five people reported on the issue and Reuters.
The CEOs of American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines are the ones who have been invited to meet with White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy and economic advisor Brian Deese, to discuss environmental issues related to air travel, including the use of greener fuels. to feed air travel.
The White House and a spokeswoman for a group representing the airlines declined to comment.
McCarthy told Reuters earlier this month that he had begun talks with the utilities and automobiles sectors about reducing greenhouse gas emissions. He said the talks were part of a broad effort by the Biden administration to involve all federal agencies in decarbonizing the U.S. electricity sector by 2035 and the entire economy by 2050.
Last week, Reuters reported that U.S. airlines and renewable energy companies are pressuring the Biden administration to support a large increase in subsidies for less carbon aviation fuel. They say new incentives are needed to help fight climate change.
Air travel contributes about 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the Air Transport Action Group said. This percentage is expected to increase rapidly in the coming decades if airlines do not quickly switch to a “sustainable aviation fuel”.
This fuel is made from biological waste, such as old cooking oil, animal fats and vegetable oils. It is much more expensive than traditional aircraft fuel.
Speaking at an Axios event on the future of green travel, Scott Kirby, chief executive of United Airlines, said the R&D investments needed to get the whole economy clean of zero emissions will require the support of government.
United is committed to making a multimillion-dollar investment in carbon capture, a technology designed to inhale carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, as part of a plan that is 100% green by 2050.
The trade group for the Airlines for America industry told Reuters earlier that it had also been in contact with the Biden administration’s climate change officials to discuss expanding the sustainable aviation fuel market.
Currently, A4A members only use approximately 1.5 million gallons of green aircraft fuel in the United States per year, out of a total commercial aircraft fuel market in excess of 620 million barrels. annual. (One barrel of aircraft fuel contains 42 gallons).
Several other countries have already proposed sustainable fuel mandates for aviation or are exploring them as a means to address the increased carbon production of air travel. A mandate in Norway came into force in January 2020, while the Netherlands will have one in 2023.
European requirements are expected to be addressed at the White House meeting.
Globally, more than 250,000 flights have been running on sustainable aviation fuel since 2016, while an estimated 10.6 million gallons will be produced by 2020, according to the International Air Transport Association.
Chicago-based Boeing Co. has pledged to fly with 100% sustainable aviation fuels by 2030, it said in January.
Reports by David Shepardson in Washington, Jarett Renshaw in Philadelphia and Tracy Rucinski in Chicago; Edited by Rosalba O’Brien and Matthew Lewis