By Joanna Plucinska
DUBLIN (Reuters) – The number of air passengers is expected to more than double between now and 2050, leading to a surge in fuel demand and undermining measures taken by the aviation industry to reduce its emissions, it showed. on Monday a study by the climate advocacy group Transportation and Environment.
As aviation industry leaders gather in Dublin this week at an annual financial conference where many aircraft sales are expected, the Brussels-based group called on the European Union to implement measures to limit the sector’s growth.
“It’s time to come back down to earth and end this addiction to growth,” Jo Dardenne, the group’s aviation director, told Reuters.
Measures to control the rapid growth of air travel could include limiting the growth of airport infrastructure and corporate travel while increasing taxes on the sector, the report said.
The airline industry, which accounts for around 2.5% of global carbon emissions, has committed to using more sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in an effort to reduce emissions and reach net zero by 2050.
But tight supply and prices that are up to five times higher than traditional jet fuel mean little of the greener fuel is used.
Monday’s report said industry fuel use is forecast to rise 59% by 2050 from 2019 levels as passenger numbers increase.
With aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing (NYSE:) projecting high growth in the coming years and more planes in the sky, emissions will increase even with more efficient aircraft on the market and the use of SAF.
“The more they grow, the further they move away from it. At this rate, they will still be burning 2 billion barrels of oil a year in 2050, despite using SAF,” Dardenne said.
Airbus and Boeing did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The airline industry has repeatedly rejected calls to slow growth, saying the sector is essential for economic development and global connectivity.