AIRPLANE

POLLUTION
VALENTINA MESTRE, PABLO VAZQUEZ, MAXIMILIANO YAÑEZ
HOW DOES IT
CONTRIBUTE
TO CLIMATE
CHANGE?
Emissions from aviation are a significant
contributor to climate change. Airplanes
burn fossil fuel which not only releases
CO2 emissions but also has strong
warming non-CO2 effects due to
nitrogen oxides (NOx), that contribute
twice as much to global warming like
vapour trails and cloud formation
triggered by the altitude at which aircraft
operate.
 PERCENTAGE OF
CO2 PRODUCED BY
PLANES
2022
2.5 %

2050
5 %

Airplanes are the most contaminant way of transport in the

world, it is used to transport products and for people to travel.
The use of airplanes represents 2.5% of the carbon emissions in
the world. If we keep up with the constant use of planes this
percentage will be duplicated at 5% by 2050.
HOW MUCH DO THEY

EMIT?
Airplanes emit around 100 times
more CO2 per hour than a shared
bus or train ride, and the emissions
of global aviation are around 1 billion
tons of CO2 per year — more than
the emissions of most countries,
including Germany. Aviation
contributes an estimated 2.4% of
global annual CO2 emissions, most
of it from commercial travel.
 ACTIONS
What is being
done globally?
Nothing! Despite their
considerable impact, no
measures are in place at
regional or global level to
address aviation’s non-
CO2 climate impacts.
What can YOU
do?
Fly less! flying less is the only
way to reduce emissions in the
critical decade before 2030.
Take a more sustainable mode
of transport, such as train, or
changing your destination to
one which can be reached by
less climate-intensive means.
THE
ALTERNATIVE
E-FUELS SUCH AS POWER-TO-LIQUID ARE A POTENTIAL SOURCE OF ZERO
OR LOWER CARBON ALTERNATIVE FUELS. E-KEROSENE IS THE ONLY FUEL
THAT CAN BE SUSTAINABLY SCALED UP TO REDUCE AVIATION’S CLIMATE
IMPACT.BUT THEY REQUIRE ENORMOUS AMOUNTS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY
AND THEIR ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTIVENESS DEPENDS ON THE SOURCE OF
THE CO2 REQUIRED TO PRODUCE THE FUELS. HOWEVER, THEY DO PROVIDE
THE POTENTIAL TO SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE EMISSIONS FROM THE SECTOR.
REFERENCES
L. (2022, October 1). How much does air travel warm the planet? New study gives a
figure. Mongabay Environmental News. https://news.mongabay.com/2022/04/how-
much-does-air-travel-warm-the-planet-new-study-gives-a-figure/

Airplane pollution. (2022, june 2). Transport & Environment.

https://www.transportenvironment.org/challenges/planes/airplane-pollution/

Airplane Emissions. (s. f.).

https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/climate_law_institute/transportation_
and_global_warming/airplane_emissions/