Towards a Greener Future: Sustainable Aviation Fuels and the Paris 2024 Olympics

Description

Contributed by Cassiane Bohn Au, Global Green Chemistry Innovation and Network Program Assistant at Yale University

As the Paris Olympics come closer, the city is gearing up to welcome a large influx of athletes and spectators. Significant efforts have been made to minimize the environmental impact of this massive event, with measures in place to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainability. Paris 2024 has already reduced emissions compared to the previous Olympic Games by utilizing 95% existing or temporary infrastructure, opting for renewable energy when possible, choosing sustainable catering, and many other eco-friendly solutions. Although Paris 2024 organizers have pledged to neutralize the games' carbon footprint by offsetting emissions before and after the events, the new method does not directly account for spectators’ travels, such as emissions caused by airplanes going to and from Paris. Instead, Paris 2024 aims to offset these emissions by investing in global projects that deliver environmental and social benefits.

While the Olympics can reduce their carbon footprint directly, tackling emissions from global travel for the games remains a pressing challenge. For example, a commercial flight from New York to Paris emits the equivalent of 2.1 tons of CO₂ per passenger. With additional flights expected to accommodate spectators during the Olympics, CO₂ emissions will likely increase during this period, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable aviation solutions to combat climate change.

What if there was a more sustainable way to travel by airplane with much lower carbon emissions in the near future? The good news is that several companies are already developing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technologies to reduce carbon emissions from air travel. These innovations not only have the potential to reduce CO₂ emissions from daily flights but also to lower the carbon footprint of spectators’ air travel to future Olympics.

Many of these technologies are based on green chemistry principles, and some cutting-edge innovations are listed in the Green Chemistry for Sustainability (GCS) platform –– made possible by a partnership between the American Chemical Society, Beyond Benign, and the Center for Green Chemistry and Engineering at Yale. GCS is a community-driven hub that allows innovators to connect with critical resources and collaborations to accelerate R&D in green chemistry for sustainable development.

Amidst these resources is the Safer Alternatives database, where users can explore technologies under development or currently in the market from various industries. By having access to a growing global database, sustainability practitioners and companies can incorporate these alternatives to existing processes. For example, a practitioner interested in reducing carbon emissions from air travel can learn more about companies like Twelve, which uses its Opus™ platform to transform CO₂, water, and renewable energy into hydrocarbons via CO₂ electrolysis to create SAF. Air Company employs its AIRMADE™ process to convert excess carbon dioxide into carbon-negative alcohols and fuels, mimicking photosynthesis and producing only oxygen as a by-product. Gevo, Inc. produces plant-based hydrocarbons that can replace traditional petroleum-based fuels. Nova Pangea Technologies has developed REFNOVA™ Biomass Fractionation, which generates a high yield of biofuels and biochemicals from plant mass using locally sourced cellulosic feedstocks. These companies are among many pioneers in the transportation sector who are using green chemistry for a sustainable future.

As we look forward to the Paris Olympics and beyond, embracing these innovations in sustainable aviation fuels will be crucial in achieving our climate goals and ensuring that large-scale events can be enjoyed with a significantly reduced environmental impact.

References: