Commercial aviation accounts for about 2% of global carbon emissions, while about 12% of all CO2 emissions come from the transportation sector. Within these figures, business and general aviation (B/GA) are accounted for, but it has always been a challenge to calibrate just how much these sub-sectors contribute globally versus the scheduled commercial sector.
In 2019, the commercial aviation sector accounted for 915 million tonnes of CO2. CO2 emissions from commercial aircraft, excluding airports and the related supply chain industries, were on pace to triple by 2050 (prior to the COVID-19 outbreak), as both passenger air travel and air freight have surged worldwide, with the latter seeing a notable increase consistent with the growth of e-commerce and digital trade. As cars and trucks become more fuel-efficient, aviation’s share of transportation-sector emissions is now ballooning. Any serious attempt to combat the problem of climate change must include aviation.