Production: By Europod, in co-production with Sphera Network.

EUobserver is proud to have an editorial partnership with Europod to co-publish the podcast series “Briefed” hosted by Léa Marchal. The podcast is available on all major platforms.

Find the full transcript below:

The aviation sector is likely to miss its net-zero emissions target by 2050.

That assessment comes from Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association, or IATA.

Given that outlook, should travelers simply give up flying?

I’m Léa, and this is Briefed, your daily European podcast.

The industry set its net-zero goal in 2021 via IATA, the worldwide airline trade group.

Leaders planned to reach it mainly through improved fuel efficiency and widespread adoption of sustainable aviation fuels.

Five years later, executives concede progress has stalled, dimming prospects for guilt-free travel.

The chief obstacle remains sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF.

Types include biofuels derived from used cooking oil or farm waste, and synthetic e-fuels made from green hydrogen plus atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Today’s jet engines can already burn these alternatives without modification.

The hurdle is volume.

IATA reports SAF now supplies under one percent of global jet fuel. That falls far short of the roughly 65 percent share projected for 2050.

Output is rising, yet too slowly.

Why the lag?

These fuels cost far more than standard kerosene.

Synthetic versions depend on green hydrogen, which remains scarce because it needs abundant renewable power and stays costly to produce.

Biofuels already see some use, yet experts caution that scaling them up risks diverting land and fertilizers from food crops.

That covers the fuel situation.

What about new technology?

Electric planes exist, but only for tiny aircraft on short hops. They offer no near-term fix for big airliners, freighters, or long routes.

Without fully clean options, must we simply fly less?

The question surfaces often.

Aviation generates about two to three percent of global carbon dioxide. Adding high-altitude effects such as contrails lifts its warming share to four or five percent.

That share may appear modest, yet every emission source matters amid urgent global cuts.

Some people have therefore stopped flying entirely.

French engineer Jean-Marc Jancovici suggests limiting individuals to four lifetime flights.

Views differ sharply on whether such curbs are fair or essential.

Policy moves are emerging.

France banned certain short domestic flights in 2023 when trains cover the route in under two and a half hours.

The EU lacks a wider plan to curb demand, but it does require airlines to blend in more sustainable fuel despite supply limits.

A kerosene tax is another recurring proposal.

Unlike road fuels, jet fuel usually escapes taxation. Years of discussion have yet to yield European agreement on a broad levy.

That leaves consumers holding significant influence.

They may choose to reduce flight frequency rather than quit air travel altogether.