Swiss low-cost airline EasyJet has unveiled its roadmap to achieving net-zero emissions with a focus on using sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
In addition to relying on SAF in the future, the company has announced its intention to introduce hydrogen-powered jet engines and thus completely stop offsetting its emissions to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Another pillar of EasyJet’s new roadmap is carbon capture technology.
The ambitious announcement comes only weeks before the Swiss airline’s three-year contract to offset all of its carbon dioxide emissions is set to end.
At the time of signing, back in late 2019, the bold move was the first of its kind and was said to cost EasyJet some £25 million (~27 million) every year, but at the same time many were skeptical of the endeavor and labeled it as greenwashing.
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And in truth, an investigation conducted by The Guardian unearthed evidence that the Swiss low-cost, along with multiple other big airlines, was purchasing low-quality, ‘phantom’ carbon credits to offset their emissions.
So as of December this year, EasyJet has promised to cease paying for carbon credits and instead, invest in more reliable means of reducing its carbon footprint, such as sustainable aviation fuel, and has vowed to slash emissions by 35% by 2035.
And the first stop on the EasyJet roadmap to net-zero is the fleet replacement of its traditional kerosene-fueled planes with 168 new A320neos from Airbus and optimizing the existing fleet’s fuel consumption and flight descent using new technology.
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