Europe's plan to make Zero-Emission Aviation take off I Blog of Commissioner Thierry Breton

As G20 nations gather to work together on climate, there has never been a more compelling case for electric and hydrogen powered aircraft.

Our European engineers are closer than ever to achieving the goal of a zero-emission flight, and the growing number of start-ups in this field is showcasing the dynamism of the aviation industry.

But this process will only work if the entire industrial ecosystem is involved.

This is why I launched the Alliance for Zero-Emission Aviation last June to prepare the aviation community for both climate and economic transition.

We already have received more than 120 applications for membership, including most of the major business associations involved but also NGOs and trade unions. This is great news – and we need to go even further to make this a reality.

Tackling both our dependencies and climate change

Russia's unprovoked aggression against Ukraine has shifted much of the political attention to strengthening our capacity to defend ourselves.

But it has also highlighted once again some fundamental truths.

The first reminder: our technological and energy dependencies make us vulnerable. Our dependencies are used as a weapon against us. There is no need to recall the energy context. Since the beginning of this Commission's mandate, we have recognised that a global race is underway and that our ability to take control of our destiny comes down to mastering the technologies of tomorrow.

The second reminder: timing matters. We need aviation: it connects people. But we also need to mitigate climate change. Aviation is responsible for 14% of the transport sector's greenhouse gas emissions. And these emissions are increasing.

Based on these two reminders, let's make aviation sustainable. And let's do it swiftly.

Involving the whole ecosystem

The technologies to make aviation fully clean are in sight, and Europe needs to prepare itself. This transition involves the participation of many players: not only large manufacturers, but also many small companies and start-ups that are developing innovative, zero-emission technologies for aviation.

The EU is investing heavily to support these efforts. Under the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, €1.7 billion is allocated to the Clean Aviation Partnership for this purpose. This is in addition to all the other funds for collaborative research and development actions. National research programmes are also supporting the effort.

Nevertheless, several questions arise.

Will the right conditions be in place in time here in Europe to make sustainable innovation in aviation a success story from day one?

Will we produce enough clean hydrogen? Also: at a price that makes green aviation commercially viable?

Will we be able to bring energy sources to airports? To what extent do we need to rethink our energy systems and networks?

What are the implications for aviation regulation in terms of safety and security?

All these questions, and more, need to be addressed collectively, and answered quickly. This is the essence of this Alliance.

Its key objective is to be able to examine all the conditions favourable to the take-off of zero-emission aircraft: innovation, investment, infrastructure, regulation.

To take this holistic view, we need to ensure that beyond the aircraft, the whole ecosystem is involved: including representatives of environmental action groups and trade unions.

In addition, look at synergies with defence and space technologies. So that we can collectively identify opportunities; remove bottlenecks; and prepare the policy responses needed to move from vision to reality.

The Alliance's key priorities

We now need to get the Alliance moving. And focus on its deliverables.

A first priority is to identify the most realistic and credible scenario for where these aircraft will fly, how far and how often. Building consensus on such a target scenario will guide the Alliance's actions. It will also inspire the wider ecosystem and the public.

A second priority is for the Alliance to structure its analytical work. The afternoon's discussion will aim to build consensus on priority topics and on the creation of working groups to carry out this analytical work. I attach great importance to the fact that these discussions reflect the interests of all aviation stakeholders.

Finally, as a third priority, the EU also has a responsibility to contribute to the global effort to decarbonise aviation.

Commercial aircraft "made in the EU" accounts for 65% of global deliveries in 2021.

We should not only aim to be the first to act, but also to inspire other parts of the world with our example.