By The Financial District
Oct 21, 20211 min
After four years of searching, scientists have found a new plant-based aviation fuel that could significantly reduce the environmental impact of flying, according to a Euronews report by Maeve Campbell
Photo Insert: Brassica carinata
The fuel is made from a type of mustard plant called Brassica carinata and could reduce carbon emissions by up to 68 percent, according to research from the University of Georgia, US.
The research, led by scientist Puneet Dwivedi, shows that this sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) could be a “game-changer” in replacing petroleum.
"Carinata-based SAF could help reduce the carbon footprint of the aviation sector while creating economic opportunities and improving the flow of ecosystem services across the southern region,” says Dwivedi, associate professor in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources.
The aviation industry emits 2.5 percent of all carbon dioxide emissions in the US and is responsible for 3.5 percent of global warming.
Dwivedi's findings come at an opportune moment. In September, President Joe Biden proposed a sustainable fuel tax credit as part of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge.
As part of the challenge, he has set the goal of a 20 percent drop in aviation emissions by 2030 and achieving a fully zero-carbon aviation sector by 2050.