Transportation is one of the largest sources of GHG emissions worldwide—with 14 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions sourced from vehicles. Almost all of the energy consumed in transportation is sourced from petroleum-based fuels. While a significant focus recently has been zero-emissions road transport, more nations and organizations are highlighting the opportunities for zero-emissions transport via air and sea. Indeed, the United States released yesterday its Aviation Climate Action Plan, with a commitment to net-zero by 2050.
A key focus of COP26’s Transport Day is to “build consensus on the pace of transition to zero emission vehicles” as needed to achieve the goals set out in the Paris Agreement. Within this broader mandate, major players such as the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom are hosting a series of more focused side events.
The We Mean Business Coalition (WMBC) kicked off the day with an event on “Getting to Zero Emissions for Shipping” in which a public-private dialogue was held to touch on their recently launched Call to Action. This 160-signatory strong document commits industry players to scaling and commercializing net-zero vessels and fuels by 2030. For those interested in the future of maritime transport—the United Kingdom is hosting Mr. Kitack Lim, the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), to discuss their goal of zero-emissions shipping by 2050, and the IMO will also be hosting a side event, titled “Seizing Opportunities for Developing Countries in Providing Zero-Carbon Fuels to Global Shipping.”
Sustainable aviation, and the fuel required to power it (known colloquially as “SAF”), is also receiving its share of the spotlight. The day began with WMBC’s event “Sustainable Aviation Fuel: From Ambition to Action,” in which they identified the next steps across the aviation value chain in order to achieve 10 percent SAF utilization by 2030. The United States is discussing the “future of flight” while the United Kingdom discusses “Delivering Jet Zero” through their U.K. Jet Zero Council and Sustainable Aviation’s road-map. Rounding out the day, the U.K. Pavilion hosts an event that will kick off a new SAF policy toolkit, jointly designed by SAF ambassadors and the World Economic Forum. The toolkit provides blueprints of innovative and practical policy proposals capable of being implemented by states and industries across any region.