By Staff Correspondent
The Paris Air Show, reconvening after a gap of four years, provides a stage for the resurgence of the aviation industry post-Covid. Amid this, a recent survey commissioned by GE Aerospace—a division of General Electric—suggests widespread scepticism, notably in India, regarding the sector’s ability to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
Just 30% of those surveyed felt that attaining sustainability objectives was more pressing than navigating issues within supply chains and labour. On the other hand, the study recorded dissatisfaction from 51% of the participants regarding the sluggish pace of sustainability measures.
Respondents predominantly deemed the speed of the implementation of sustainability measures as “too slow”. GE Aerospace’s Vice President, Allen Paxson, responded by acknowledging the industry’s awareness of the necessity for accelerating sustainability efforts.
This research was initiated by GE Aerospace, which is transforming into a standalone entity as part of GE’s recent restructuring into three independent businesses specialising in healthcare, power and energy, and aviation and aerospace. The anticipated final spinoff will leave GE Aerospace as a focused aviation enterprise.
The Ipsos-conducted study involved consultation with 325 industry decision-makers across the US, UK, China, India, the UAE, and France. It aimed to capture the industry’s perception of its progress towards tackling sustainability challenges.
Although 51% of respondents from all countries indicated that progress was too slow, higher dissatisfaction was seen among decision-makers from individual markets. The US, UK, and India showed dissatisfaction levels at 65%, 63%, and 62% respectively.
The study underlines the industry’s recognition of sustainability as a critical challenge, with 67% agreeing that it is a prime focus. Moreover, over 75% acknowledged that sustainability has led to significant transformations in operations. The responses suggest firms are backing their commitments with capital, with almost 90% having sustainability strategies in place.
Despite economic uncertainties, most companies plan to either maintain or increase their sustainability-related investments. Yet, only 46% believe that achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 will be possible, while 32% expect the industry to miss this target.
Obstacles such as escalating costs, financial constraints, supply chain issues, and energy resources were flagged, while the development of fuels and engines was deemed crucial for reaching the 2050 goal. Promising progress has been made, with GE Aerospace’s GE9X and Passport 20 engines demonstrating 10-15% greater fuel efficiency than earlier models.
The firm, along with its partners, is also venturing into the development of hydrogen and hybrid-electric engines. However, these are still likely a decade away from becoming commercially viable.
Simultaneously, the industry is also focused on the development of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs). Despite these efforts, the primary concern remains funding. The survey found that most respondents favour the allocation of more public funds to speed up the industry’s sustainability progress.
Respondents identified governmental bodies as the main external agents pushing for sustainability acceleration, followed by investors. Interestingly, they expressed a preference for incentives and policy support over mandates and regulations. An increased investment in SAFs was identified as the top priority for governments to aid the industry in achieving the 2050 goal.
