Growing carbon emissions from aviation industry

Projections show that CO2 emissions from the international aviation industry will quadruple by 2040.

It has been estimated that Atlantic Airways’ fleet of aircraft emitted some 50,000 tonnes of CO2 in 2017.

And all indications say that this amount will increase significantly in the coming years.

In 2010, the international aviation industry was responsible for 400 million tonnes of CO2 emissions. This year, carbon emissions from the international aviation industry are around 800 million tonnes, and estimates for 2040 suggest that emissions will be 1,600 million tonnes. This is four times the 2010 amount.

Cheaper tickets and an increase in personal wealth mean that people travel more, says Jan Johannesen, management coordinator at Atlantic Airways.

Meanwhile, the UN is warning against the catastrophic consequences of carbon emissions.

According to the Environmental Agency, the Faroes currently have a 10-percent higher overall emission rate than in 2005, despite 2009’s Parliamentary resolution to reduce emissions by 20 percent in 2020, compared with 2005 levels.

However, this figure is higher in reality, as Atlantic Airways’ 50,000-tonne emissions last year are not included in the national figures. The CO2 demands placed on Atlantic Airways come from the EU, rather than the Faroese Environmental Agency.

The fisheries industry is responsible for most of the Faroese carbon emissions – 450,000 tonnes in 2018.

Translated by prosa.fo