Might it be possible in the next decade to by an all-inclusive holiday with a decarbonised zero-emissions flight, and accommodation, food and beverage and excursions and activities that meets a credible sustainability standard?
That will only be possible if we start now to create the responsible package
Garry Wilson, CEO of easyJet holidays, said ten days ago that the company plans to “show that doing this right will deliver a better experience for our customers and real, positive benefits for communities.” Their ambition is to “bring together private, public and local community representation to establish a common set of priorities for tourism management and long-term resilience coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.” In an approach to put community first, there are plans to the programme in Tenerife and Mallorca (Spain); Dalaman (Turkey); Rhodes (Greece); and The Algarve (Portugal) to develop more balanced and equitable outcomes.
Three weeks ago I wrote here about how little progress has been made on decarbonising aviation and at COP26 last month, aviation was not included in the formal negotiations. The aviation industry is seeking to continue with business as usual using an increasing amount of sustainable aviation fuel which has the advantage of being a drop in fuel requiring very little change in the engines or refuelling systems. If only….
The reality is that SAF from waste and biofuels cannot meet the needs of existing aviation, let alone an industry the anticipated growth. In January, the Fuelling Flight Project — which includes easyJet, IAG, KLM and AirFrance — pointed to “the risk of massive capital investments in things that increase emissions, compared to fossil fuels and/or that become stranded assets”. The called-for “future proof sustainability requirements” are higher than the ones in the European Commission’s Renewable Energy Directive, including “clear exclusions of unsustainable feedstocks and pathways such as biofuels from dedicated cropland and PFAD [Palm Fatty Acid Distillate],” and asserted that: “Competition for limited resources, particularly in relation to international transport, will not solve the global climate challenge.”
EasyJet is working closely with Airbus to develop a hydrogen-powered aircraft. easyJet director of flight operations David Morgan wants easyJet’s passengers to be flying on hydrogen-powered aircraft “the moment they are available”, and to have passengers flying on a zero-emission aircraft by 2035. easyJet is working with Wright electric who are planning to flight test an electric motor in 2023 and with Airbus to develop a zero-emissions aircraft powered by hydrogen combustion and hydrogen fuel cells in a hybrid configuration.
EasyJet has recognised that business as usual is not a viable option and is determined to lead change in the industry
