Virgin Australia and Air NZ look to reduce emissions and fly with biofuel
Flight pollution is a top contributor to global warming, and airlines Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand are looking for new ways to cut down on their impact.
On Monday, the two companies announced that they would be working together to investigate the possible use of "locally-produced aviation biofuel" for their aircraft.
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Along with ensuring ongoing fuel security, the companies are hoping to reduce their environmental footprint by moving away from petroleum-based jet fuel. "Both airlines recognise the impact the aviation industry has on the environment and strongly believe in the benefits biofuels can offer," a spokesperson for Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia told Mashable Australia in an email.
"These benefits include reduced environmental impact, increased innovation and investment as well as the economic benefits that investment in these fuels can bring."
Of course, to be considered, any biofuel would have to compete with traditional fossil fuels on price and availability. The Air Transport Action Group, an advocacy group for the airline industry, has highlighted case studies where biofuel could be made from processing municipal waste or algae.
"The main focus of the [Request for Information] is drop in jet fuel, although other co-products such as biodiesel or renewable diesel may also be considered," the spokesperson added.
Aviation is estimated to contribute about 2% of the world's human-created carbon dioxide emissions, among other pollutants. As Mashable has reported, a study released in 2015 by the Center for Biological Diversity estimated that if commercial aviation was a country, it would rank seventh in the world for carbon emissions.
In February 2016, a United Nations panel proposed the "first-ever" rules to curb greenhouse gas emissions from commercial aircraft. The measures were criticised as being too weak by climate advocates, however, as many aircraft being built today already comply and will be in service for decades.
Those in the biofuel market are asked to respond to the airlines' inquiry by May 30, 2016.
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Ariel Bogle was an associate editor with Mashable in Australia covering technology. Previously, Ariel was associate editor at Future Tense in Washington DC, an editorial initiative between Slate and New America.
