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November 18, 2020
Find out more about the briefings in this series below:
Overview of the transportation series
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) held a briefing series on climate mitigation and adaptation in the transportation sector. The series covered ports, aviation, and public transit.
As commercial aviation recovers from the COVID-19 contraction, it will be critical to foster strategies and policy to help the industry reduce its climate impact. In this briefing, we examined two of these strategies—sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and aircraft technology improvements. Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA) delivered opening remarks. Chris Tindal of the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) addressed the potential of low-carbon sustainable aviation fuels with life-cycle emissions substantially below conventional fossil-based jet fuel and the policy formula for scaling up the SAF industry. Barbara Esker of NASA’s Advanced Air Vehicles Program described NASA’s role in the development of new efficient engine and airframe technologies as well as gas-electric propulsion.
Rep. Julia Brownley (D-Calif.); Member, House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis; Member, House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation
Chris Tindal, Assistant Director and Business Team Lead, Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI)
Barbara Esker, Deputy Director, Advanced Air Vehicles Program, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Question & Answer Session
What are the key pieces of information that policymakers need to know and act on to support sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)? What policy actions would expand the production and use of SAF?
The industry has set a long-term goal of 50 percent reduction of carbon dioxide emissions relative to 2005 by 2050. Does NASA set goals for specific levels of efficiency improvement of available technology for the fleet over time?
Can you talk about policy incentives to promote sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) versus policy mandates for the airlines? Which, do you think, will be most effective in growing the industry over the next 10 to 15 years?
With the basket of strategies available to the industry, it seems that there is a good deal of commonality or complementary relationships between technologies and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). How do you see both strategies working together?
Highlights compiled by Emma Walker