In
an effort to create more consistency and clarity for consumers related to the
climate impact of their air travel, the International Air Transport Association
(IATA) and Travalyst have agreed to align their efforts in this area.
Travalyst
is a coalition of nine companies - Skyscanner, Google, Booking.com, Expedia
Group, Tripadvisor, Amadeus, Travelport, Trip.com Group and Visa - founded by Prince
Harry, the Duke of Sussex, in 2019.
“This
is the first time that airlines and the travel technology sector have come
together in this way. As such it is a milestone moment in the decarbonization
of the sector,” says Sally Davey, CEO of Travalyst.
“In
the face of the climate emergency, travelers want and need clear and
unequivocal information about their carbon footprint on which to base travel
decisions. Today we are bringing some of the leading travel brands around the
table with the world's leading airline association, with the aim of easily providing
consumers with the most accurate carbon calculations.”
Subscribe to our newsletter below
The organizations say the collaboration will focus on both data and standard
methodology for route-based passenger emission calculations, including a shared
position on how to account for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
IATA
estimates production of SAF will increase 200% this year compared to 2021, to
at least 300 million liters.
“There
was at least triple the amount of SAF in the market in 2022 than in 2021. And
airlines used every drop, even at very high prices! If more was available, it
would have been purchased,” says Willie Walsh, director general at IATA.
“That
makes it clear that it is a supply issue and that market forces alone are
insufficient to solve it. Governments, who now share the same 2050 net zero
goal, need to put in place comprehensive production incentives for SAF. It is
what they did to successfully transition economies to renewable sources of
electricity. And it is what aviation needs to decarbonize.”
IATA
says that with supporting policies, the SAF industry is “on the verge of an
exponential capacity and production ramp-up toward an identified tipping point
of 30 billion liters by 2030.”
It
says to date more than 450,000 commercial flights have been operated using SAF.
In
related news, a Germany-based developer of batteries that can be used in
electric planes has raised €60 million in Series A funding from several
climate-tech investors.
Customcells
says it will use the funding to advance electric flying.
“Energy storage is the critical technology for the further
expansion of renewable energy and thus for the further decarbonization of the
global economy,” says Daria Saharova, co-founder of World Fund, the lead
investor.
“Customcells has the opportunity to enable the disruption of
aviation and thus rapidly decarbonize the entire industry.”