UCL-Energy academics explore cost-effectiveness of CO2 emission reductions from passenger aircraft

In response to strong growth in air transportation CO2 emissions, governments and industry began to explore and implement mitigation measures and targets in the early 2000s. However, in the absence of rigorous analyses assessing the costs for mitigating CO2 emissions, these policies could be economically wasteful. 

This paper identifies the cost-effectiveness of CO2 emission reductions from narrow-body aircraft, the workhorse of passenger air transportation. The paper finds that in the US, a combination of fuel burn reduction strategies could reduce the 2012 level of life cycle CO2emissions per passenger kilometre by around 2% per year through 2050 at zero marginal costs for oil prices between $50 to $100 per barrel.  

For more information contact Andreas Schafer

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