Elite Traveler Summer 2022

by Doug Gollan LEADERS IN LUXURY

JETS Aviation accounts for 2.1% of global carbon emissions, and private jets claim 2% of that total, or 0.04% of global emissions. Road travel makes up 10%, forestry 17% and agriculture 14%. Still, the industry has never shied away from its position as a lightning rod.

plan. For the time being, there is no singular solution in sight, although Sustainable Aviation Fuel, or SAF, will provide the biggest boost. It can reduce current fossil fuel emissions up to 80%. Beyond SAF, e ff orts are widespread. There are big design initiatives that could literally change the shape of today’s airplanes. Then there is the intensive focus to reduce carbon output anywhere and everywhere, from using clean energy for manufacturing to incorporating sustainably sourced materials into the aircraft — even those shiny veneers. In this issue, we highlight private aviation’s big thinkers who are leaving no stone unturned in the push toward sustainability .

Instead of being combative or defensive, last year, leaders pledged to be net zero by 2050, improving on the 2009 Business Aviation Commitment on Climate Change, which called for cutting carbon emissions by 50% by mid-century. Yes, you read that correctly — sustainability is not new for private aviation despite the constant attacks. However, achieving the goal is di ffi cult. For all the attention they get, electric aircraft (eVTOLs) will only serve short hops for the foreseeable future. Advances in aircraft design and engines are incremental, although original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), as you will see, are making huge commitments to silver bullet ideas. This means little gains are a large part of the