The Swiss aviation sector should be able to meet the country’s net-zero CO2 emissions target by 2050. But it must invest massively in research and development, according to a new report.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA
On Wednesday the Federal Council (executive body) approved a report on carbon-neutral flying by 2050 that sets out technical measures for climate-friendly aviation.
The use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) will be the key measure to reduce fossil CO2 emissions, the government said in a press release in reply to a postulate from the House of Representative’s Environment Committee.
More
More
The Swiss firm that wants to power planes with green jet fuel
This content was published on
The Swiss company Synhelion is developing the world’s first industrial-scale plant to produce synthetic fuels from CO2, methane, water and sunlight.
Efficiency savings in aircraft fleets and operations will also play a role. But hydrogen-fuelled and electric aircraft can only marginally reduce emissions – at least up to 2050, the report’s authors stated.
Instruments already exist or are being developed to achieve Swiss climate objectives. The CO2 Act for the period after 2024 also provides for new mechanisms to encourage the aviation industry to act.
The federal government will introduce new subsidies to support the aviation industry in its efforts to become carbon neutral. With the existing instruments and those planned from 2025, the federal government can set a course for a 70% reduction in carbon emissions from Swiss air traffic, the report said. But in order to fully achieve the net-zero target by 2050, carbon sequestration and storage (negative emission technologies) is also required.
Translated from French by Deepl/sb
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
Popular Stories
More
Multinational companies
Azeri fossil-fuel cash cow brings controversy to Switzerland
Swiss price watchdog slams excessive prices for generic medicines
This content was published on
The cheapest generic medicines available in Switzerland are more than twice as expensive as in other countries, according to a study by the Swiss price watchdog.
Nature should not figure in net zero calculations: academic study
This content was published on
The natural removal of CO2 from the atmosphere by forests or oceans should not be included in the net-zero balance of climate protection measures, argue researchers.
This content was published on
None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.
This content was published on
Nestlé's new CEO Laurent Freixe, has presented plans for the future of the world's largest food company, after his first few weeks in office.
Swiss foreign minister calls on Moscow to end Ukraine war
This content was published on
It's high time Moscow ended its war against Ukraine, Swiss foreign minister Ignazio Cassis tells the UN Security Council.
This content was published on
The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.
Study reveals food culture differences between Switzerland and neighbours
This content was published on
Three-quarters of Swiss people consider eating to be a pleasurable, social activity, a new survey reveals. Healthy eating, however, plays a much less important role, it found.
How sustainable fuels created from thin air could solve the energy crisis
This content was published on
Swiss scientists have built a mini solar refinery that produces synthetic fuel from just sunlight and air. The technology is now being scaled up.
Swiss research institutes join quest to find best green jet fuels
This content was published on
A new Swiss research initiative is investigating ways to produce fuel from renewable resources, but scaling up will be a challenge.
The Swiss firm that wants to power planes with green jet fuel
This content was published on
The Swiss company Synhelion is developing the world’s first industrial-scale plant to produce synthetic fuels from CO2, methane, water and sunlight.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.