The UK would have to give up half its farmland to make enough alternative aviation fuel to meet its net zero ambitions, according to a new report from the Royal Society.
The report warns there is no single, clear alternative to jet fuel able to support flying on a scale equivalent to present-day use.
The UK has committed to scaling up manufacturing of “sustainable aviation fuels” (SAFs) and make domestic flying “net zero” by 2040. At its current rate, passenger demand is expected to grow by 65 percent by 2025 without any further airport expansions.
Scientists found that energy crops such as rapeseed, miscanthus, and poplar wood, would require more than 50 percent of the UK’s available agricultural land in order to replace aviation fuels….