Virgin Atlantic launches the Aviation Climate Taskforce with other airlines
Virgin Atlantic has joined with other leading airlines to form the Aviation Climate Taskforce (ACT), a non-profit organisation founded to accelerate breakthroughs in emerging technologies to decarbonise aviation.
Virgin Atlantic joins Air Canada, Air France KLM, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Delta Air Lines, JetBlue, Lufthansa, Southwest Airlines, and United Airlines, together with Boston Consulting Group to form the new organisation.
Aviation emissions are particularly hard to reduce and it will take many solutions to decarbonise aviation. The ACT has been set up to stimulate innovation in the next generation of technologies. Its focus will be on medium-term solutions – including synthetic fuel and direct air capture.
Over time, the portfolio will expand to include more near-term solutions such as bio-based sustainable aviation fuel pathways, and longer term solutions such as hydrogen technologies.
The ACT’s mission will be supported by two pillars: an Innovation Network and a Collaboration Forum.
The Innovation Network will look to accelerate technological breakthroughs. It will focus on early-stage research and use proven tools to map the vast amount of research across the field. The ACT will provide grant funding and host innovation challenges to stimulate collaboration and research.
The Collaboration Forum will support the Innovation Network by identifying other ways to jointly reduce carbon emissions, such as making it easier and quicker to adopt next generation technologies, through engagement with experts and though leaders.
The ACT also has plans to launch an Investment Fund that will provide money to rapidly scale-up emerging technologies that have the potential to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of air travel.
In its first year, the ACT will concentrate on selecting focus areas within these technologies and setting up the Innovation Network.
Visit the Aviation Climate Taskforce to find out more.
Virgin Atlantic also recently announced its ambitious carbon targets to help the airline achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
