Aviation Emissions to Skyrocket

Airtravel is a growing source of emission globally and clean energy analysts believe that it will be one of the most difficult aspects of decarbonization proposals over the coming decades. Airplane emission projections show how North America is expected to remain the biggest source, while Asian markets will be the fastest growing - especially China and India. The Asia-Pacific market as a whole is estimated to remain the runner-up, but close its gap with North America somewhat.

According to data provided by Bloomberg BNEF, carbon emissions from air travel across all continents are expected to rise over the next three decades. Pre-pandemic, North America produced an estimated 293 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent from aviation emissions in 2019. By 2050, this is estimated to climb to over 440 million metric tons. Asian-Pacific countries followed closely behind at around 230 million metric tons in 2019 and an expected 418 million metric tons in 2050.

Overall, the global aviation industry is expected to produce nearly 2 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2050 – nearly double the pre-pandemic value and nearly quadruple the emissions of the 1990s.

Battery technology and alternative clean fuels are picking up steam for short distance passenger vehicles and longer-range commercial cars and trucks. But the technology to implement this for airplanes and shipping have been lagging behind.