Boeing has laid out the blueprints for its green future as it looks to use the pandemic as an opportunity to ensure its operations become more environmentally friendly.
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Boeing has revealed each plane it manufactured in 2020 would release around one million tonnes of CO2 as the company looks to switch to more sustainable fuels. Credit: Alex JW Robinson / Shutterstock
The aviation sector is still reeling from the effects of Covid-19 and there has been a marked shift towards making the entire transport industry more sustainable, with the US airliner being one in a long line of industry leaders attempting to gauge the true extent of its carbon footprint.
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It is estimated that aviation is currently responsible for 2% of the world's carbon emissions.
Boeing's latest sustainability report hints as much as 80% of these carbon emissions could be cut by switching to sustainable fuels. The company also claims each new model it releases will be 15-25% more efficient in terms of fuel consumption than its predecessor.
Boeing's latest model, the 777X, is set to emit 10% fewer emissions and use 10% less fuel than other models, the company claims.
CEO Dave Calhoun said the airliner would be working to "significantly reduce our environmental impact during every stage of a product’s life cycle."
This marks the company's continued efforts to "identify opportunities to continuously improve", he added, including an emphasis on "adopting more transparency and data in [its] technical reporting" and working towards achieving its climate goals.
The company will be looking to expand its sustainable fuels scheme with the ultimate aim of every single one of its models to be operating on renewables by the end of the decade and increasing the use of green electricity at its manufacturing plants.
Boeing has been offering passengers the option to fly on aircraft operating using sustainable biofuels since 2019 and several models are reportedly equipped to be able to run at least 50% green.
"We know our continued commitment to environmental sustainability—whether we’re efficiently managing resources or cutting the carbon footprint of our products—is a key element to the company’s overall strategy", Boeing vice president for the environment, health and safety Bryan Scott said in a statement. "Innovation is part of Boeing's DNA."
"We are designing and building our products while being mindful of emissions and conserving precious resources, including energy and water, while significantly reducing waste", he added.
In total, Boeing revealed the aircraft it put out in 2020 would be responsible for 158 million tonnes of carbon dioxide pumped into the atmosphere.
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Boeing delivered 157 million aircraft in 2020. Each plane is set to release nearly a tonne of CO2 during its 20-year lifespan.
Airbus conducted a similar report in February, which found it had manufactured 566 jets with estimated lifetime emissions of 440 million tonnes.
Airbus expects each jet to have a lifespan of roughly 22 years.
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