For those hoping to slow the halt of climate change, aviation often seems like a near-intractable problem. Roughly 115,000 flights take off and land around the world every day, accounting for 3 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. A single passenger flying from San Francisco to London is responsible for around 1 metric ton of carbon dioxide spewed into the atmosphere – about half the emissions that a citizen of India, on average, releases in a whole year.
But, according to a new report from the International Council on Clean Transportation, or ICCT, it is possible to reduce aviation emissions enough to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius. It will just take enormous amounts of money, effort, and — perhaps most importantly — sustainable fuel.
