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The government must hold the aviation sector accountable for its proposed cuts to emissions, MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) have said.
In the Jet Zero Strategy, which was published in 2022, the government proposed various technological measures, such as increasing fuel efficiency and the adoption of sustainable aviation fuels. The model assumes that fuel efficiencies will improve by 2% each year, in line with evidence from the aviation sector.
But the EAC has urged the government to hold the aviation industry accountable for the reductions should they not be met.
Last year, a survey of aviation experts found that the majority are not convinced that the sector will become carbon neutral by the stated 2050 goal.
Aviation, which accounts for approximately 3% of total CO2 emissions worldwide, is considered a hard-to-abate sector because of a lack of technologically mature alternatives to traditional jet-fuelled engines such as electric or hydrogen-fuelled aircraft.
The EAC called on the government to “rigorously” monitor the industry’s progress, and to reassess its approach if improved efficiencies are not following the 2050 net zero trajectory. It said the first review of the Jet Zero Strategy should be brought forward from 2027 to next year in order to get a better idea of whether the sector remains on track.
The government said it has not ruled out tougher measures designed to reduce demand for flights, such as a frequent flyer levy, if a future review suggests that new fuels and improved technology alone are not sufficiently reducing emissions.
The committee had previously warned ministers that demand management measures might need to be considered if reviews of the strategy show that it is not on track to deliver the emissions reductions expected.
Elsewhere in its response, the government has agreed with the EAC’s recommendation to commission research into aviation’s non-CO2 emissions. It pointed to a multi-year research programme, launched last year, which was intended to improve understanding of how non-CO2 emissions interact over time.
Committee member Jerome Mayhew MP said: “Decarbonising the aviation industry has proved difficult, but it is a critical part of the UK’s pathway to net zero.
“There is considerable energy and ambition within the aviation sector to deliver the necessary reductions in emissions. I welcome this ambition but the government needs to make sure that ambition is translated into actual results.
“If a future review of the Jet Zero Strategy – which the committee recommended takes place by 2025 – reveals that sufficient progress is not being made, the government must not be afraid to alter course midflight to maintain progress towards our net zero goals.”
In November, Virgin Atlantic sent the world’s first 100% sustainable aviation fuel flight from London Heathrow to New York JFK.
