Air Transport Decarbonization Pact: Net Zero Carbon goal by 2050
Full decarbonization of the aviation sector by 2050 will be achievable through the implementation of multiple strategies that in the short to medium term [...]
FCO
Full decarbonization of the aviation sector by 2050 will be achievable through the implementation of multiple strategies, which in the short to medium term will be directed toward the development of bio-fuels and with the necessary support from the policy maker, while in the medium to long term may include innovative solutions, including the use of hydrogen in turbines.
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This is what emerges from the study by the Energy & Strategy Group Department of the Milan Polytechnic carried out for the Pact for the Decarbonization of Air Transport, the Observatory promoted by Aeroporti di Roma that brings together industrial players, institutional stakeholders, associations, and representatives of the academic world under the patronage of the Ministry of Ecological Transition, the Ministry of Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility, and Enac, presented today during the first annual congress held at Terminal 5 of Fiumicino Airport.
Many figures from the corporate, institutional and association worlds took part in the discussion moderated by Joseph De Bellis, Director of Sky TG24, Nathania Zevi, Rai3 Journalist and Janina Landau, Head of the Rome office of Class CNBC. Speakers among others included: Charles Borgomeo, President of Assaeroporti, Valentina Lener, General Manager Airports 2030, Ernesto Ciorra, Chief Innovability® Officer, Enel Group, Serafino D'Angelantonio, Airbus Chief Representative in Italy, Claudio De Vincenti, chairman of Aeroporti di Roma, Pierluigi Di Palma, ENAC President, Costantino Fiorillo, Director General for Airports, Air Transport and Satellite Services of MIMS, Marco Frey President of UN Global Compact Network, Enrico Giovannini, Minister of Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility, George Graditi, Director of ENEA's Energy Technologies and Renewable Sources Department, Fabio Lazzerini, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of ITA Airways, Luigi di Marco, ASVIS Coordination Area secretariat, Vito Mangano, Director General of Assohandlers, Nicholas Mardegan, Board Member of Assaereo, Ezio Di Genesio Pagliuca, Vice Mayor of the city of Fiumicino, Constance Sebastiani, Government Affairs & Strategy Boeing Italy and Southern Europe, Luciano Neri, Secretary General of IBAR, Alessio Quaranta, Director General of ENAC, Lorenzo Radice, Head of Sustainability Italian State Railways Group, Joseph Ricci, General Manager Energy Evolution of ENI, Katia Riva, Chief Sustainability Officer Atlantia, Rafael Schvartzman, Regional Vice President Europe of IATA, Paul Simioni, ENAV CEO.
Given the central role of air transport in the development of the economy and the social fabric, its ability to foster the development of trade and foreign direct investment, fuel the growth of markets, and facilitate greater competition and greater transfers of technology and knowledge, the Pact was created with the aim of defining a path that makes the development of planet-wide connectivity and productivity compatible with environmental protection.
The first annual congress gathered at Fiumicino Airport's Terminal 5 all Covenant members who presented their contributions to define the indispensable tools to move forward on the path of decarbonization, concerning regulatory and technological aspects both for fuel production and for the development of the airport infrastructure and intermodality sector.
The study carried out by the Milan Polytechnic includes a mathematical model that outlines in the time frame up to 2050 what the technological mix to be adopted by the aviation sector should be with the related maximization of techno-economic feasibility. Based on this, it has been possible to define the tools that are indispensable for proceeding along the path of decarbonization, which concern regulatory aspects, fuel production technology and the airport and intermodal infrastructure sector.
Indeed, to achieve climate neutrality goals, it will be necessary to introduce policies that, instead of relying on restrictive measures, allow for the necessary expansion and development of aviation through the establishment of firm rules and clear and binding objectives that can be concretely achieved through intermediate targets.
- Fit for 55: make corrections to avoid that, an undeniable opportunity for harmonization of rules at the European level, results in a competitive disadvantage of the sector with loss of connectivity and shift of traffic to non-European hubs.
- Taxonomy: expand the scope of managers' environmentally sustainable activities included in the classification system introduced by the European Taxonomy, aimed at ensuring reliability, consistency and comparability of activities to protect private investors from greenwashing and help companies in the sustainable transition.
- Renewable energy: Identify appropriate facilitated approval pathways for airport operators to have renewable energy generation facilities built at airports.
- Avoiding new taxes burdening aviation by redirecting revenues from existing purpose fees to support sustainability investments in the sector.
- SAF (bio-fuel): interventions--including economic and fiscal interventions--that enable the gradual substitution of the use of traditional fuels through ad hoc measures to ensure that the production of SAF occurs sustainably and develops in a controlled and regulated manner.
- Synthetic fuels: develop the Power to Liquid/Electro-fuel production chain to accelerate large-scale applicability through research and development incentives.
- Hydrogen/electric: To support, in the medium term, the research and development of alternative energy carriers for aircraft propulsion (hydrogen and electric).
- Intermodality/Electric Vehicles: Develop, as part of airport development plans, interventions to support rail-air intermodality to support medium- to long-haul flights and electric/alternative modes to reach airports. It is also desirable that the electrification of the airport fleet be adequately supported to accelerate its implementation.
- Airport Efficiency/Innovation: Promote and incentivize the adoption of energy efficiency measures for existing airport infrastructure (e.g., environmental certifications) and processes aimed at optimizing flight procedures and the introduction of digital innovation systems with reduced CO₂ emissions.
- CO2 compensation: Opportunity to incentivize actions to absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere (carbon removal) and establish the National Offset Registry with rigorous, clear and internationally certified calculation methods, supporting decarbonization processes in the country.
