Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on Tuesday that the United States is setting a goal of achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions from the US aviation sector by 2050.
The White House said in September that it was targeting 20% lower aviation emissions by 2030, as airlines faced pressure from environmental groups to reduce their carbon footprint and use more sustainable aviation fuels. SAF).
President Joe Biden previously set a goal of making the United States net carbon neutral by 2050.
“This plan shows that we can combat climate change while growing the economy and creating well-paying American jobs,” Buttigieg said in a statement.
The US target of net-zero GHG emissions by 2050 was supported by an analysis by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
In addition to sustainable fuels, new aircraft technologies will be needed to increase operational efficiency as well as cut airport emissions, the FAA said.
“The decarbonization of the aviation sector is extremely challenging,” the FAA said.
Achieving the target will depend on factors such as “the growth rate of the sector, SAF’s success in increasing production with significant life cycle emissions reductions, new aircraft to reduce the amount of fuel needed to move people and goods.” and engine technologies, and improving operational efficiency,” it added.