In a bid to help decarbonise the aviation sector, new rules requiring airlines to use more sustainable fuels across the European Union (EU) have been agreed upon by negotiators from member countries and the EU Parliament, reported a news agency.
The executive arm of the EU, the European Commission, on Wednesday, said that the deal reached by member states.
The European Parliament demanded that from 2025 suppliers blend sustainable aviation fuels with kerosene in growing amounts.
It is expected that this step will help in the reduction of aircraft carbon emissions by two-thirds by 2050.
In the EU, the aviation sector accounts for 13.9 per cent of transportation emissions.
This makes it the second biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the sector (first is road transport), said the Commission.
If global aviation were a country, it would rank in the top 10 emitters, a report said.
The political deal is part of the “Fit for 55” package of the EU. It strives to slash by at least 55 per cent (by 2030) emissions of the gases that push global warming.
By 2050, the union hopes to reach climate neutrality. To achieve this, it needs to cut transport emissions by 90 per cent compared to 1990 levels.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the aviation sector took a hit. However, emissions from the aviation sector are expected to continue increasing.
According to data from the EU, they increased an average of 5 per cent year-on-year between 2013 and 2019.
Under the agreement, at least 2 per cent of all fuels supplied from 2025 (at airports) will need to be sustainable, with that share reaching 70 per cent by mid-century.
To enter into force, the deal now only needs formal approval from member states and EU lawmaker.
Tags: aviation sector, aviation sectors, carbon emissions, COVID-19 pandemic, European Union (EU), Sustainable Aviation Fuels