Some of the world’s biggest corporations are signing on to help decarbonize the aviation industry just as business travel is expected to rebound this year and send greenhouse gas emissions soaring.
Microsoft, Siemens and Deloitte are among at least 14 companies that pledged last month alone to purchase sustainable aviation fuel, one of the few promising climate solutions airlines have to directly reduce their pollution. They have a long way to go.
Less than 1 percent of the more than 90 billion gallons of jet fuel burned globally each year is made with sustainable ingredients, such as cooking oil or other waste. The rest comes from crude oil. And while the aviation industry only accounts for 3 percent of global emissions, that share could grow significantly in the coming decades as other industries like transportation and energy decarbonize.