Cathay Pacific, KLM, Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic are amongst founding members of the Aviation Climate Taskforce (ACT).
The non-profit organisation has been created in partnership with Boston Consulting Group with the aim to tackle the CO2 emission challenge facing the industry.
As the aviation sector focuses on decarbonisation, a portfolio of solutions will be required to reach net zero by 2050 and to scale up sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) to meet a 10% SAF target by 2030.
ACT aims to stimulate innovation in the next generation of technologies, principally focussed on critical medium-term solutions, such as synthetic fuel and direct air capture.
Over time, the portfolio will expand to include more near-term solutions, such as emerging bio-based Sustainable Aviation Fuel pathways, and long-term solutions, such as hydrogen technologies. ACT’s mission will be supported by two pillars: an Innovation Network and a Collaboration Forum to help accelerate innovation and expedite adoption.
Shai Weiss, CEO at Virgin Atlantic, commented: “We’re proud to be founding members of the Aviation Climate Taskforce. Working with industry partners to accelerate technological innovation and reduce carbon emissions over the next 30 years. We strongly echo the need for a portfolio approach and continued collaboration across the energy and aviation value chains. Through its focus on breakthrough technologies, the Aviation Climate Taskforce, will support near and medium-term innovations in emerging SAF pathways, as well as longer term breakthroughs such as electric and hydrogen flight.”
Cathay Pacific chief executive officer Augustus Tang said: “Dramatically reducing emissions is a critically important but also highly challenging task facing the aviation sector. At Cathay Pacific, we recognise the importance of working with different sectors to develop the kinds of radically new technologies that will be required to decarbonise airline operations and enable us to meet our net-zero carbon emissions goal.
“We are very pleased to join hands with a group of like-minded organisations as founding members of the Aviation Climate Taskforce to accelerate the development of breakthrough technologies and lead the way in this very important area.”
Other members include Unite Airlines, Southwest, Air Canada, JetBlue and American Airlines.
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