The sky’s the limit when it comes to pilot sustainability

Written by - Daisy Briggs

Do you tend to look upwards when you think about climate change? In the grand scheme of things, it may not seem like aviation contributes much towards climate change, particularly when considering your personal carbon footprint. In reality, 2.4% of global CO2 emissions come from aviation, which doesn’t include the carbon you produce travelling to and from the airfield. It also doesn’t consider the footprint behind your flight suits or other equipment, either. Smaller planes are often less fuel-efficient, so learning to fly provides you with a super cool new skill, alongside a hefty environmental debt. Combining other gases and water vapour trails to the equation, it is estimated that the industry is responsible for 5% of global warming. 

In order to maintain the accessibility of aviation, we must look after our planet. So how can you be more sustainable on a day-to-day basis, while continuing what you love? Other than choosing to fly a glider rather than a plane with an internal-combustion engine, there are things you can do to minimise your personal carbon footprint as a pilot outside of flying hours.

Look after your environment on the ground.

Pumping out carbon in the sky whilst damaging the environment below is doubling the problem and putting aviation at risk. The natural ‘mopping up’ process of greenhouse gases is being reduced significantly by damage to wildlife and destruction of ecosystems, which means that the planet cannot keep up with the amount of carbon being produced. 

So how can you help? By reducing your waste, recycling and buying less plastic, but also by helping to restore ecosystems. 

From re-selling flight suits to checking if your post-flight shampoo is microplastic-free, reducing the amount of waste you send to landfill and minimising plastic usage helps to clean up down here. Sending rubbish to landfill sites drastically adds to your footprint, by not only damaging the environment but also producing methane gas during decomposition. Methane is estimated to be 80 times worse for the planet than CO2 over a 20-year span, so you really can make a difference by reducing wastage. Does your airport have a recycling system? It is estimated that 91% of plastics produced have not been recycled and are cluttering up our landscapes and oceans, preventing the natural sequestration of greenhouse gases we so desperately rely on. Perhaps you could set one up?

Helping to restore ecosystems can be simple. You could plant a native plant in your garden or even go as far as to organise a day out with your flight partner to plant trees. As an aviator, you have a personal responsibility to give back to your environment, and not doing so sacrifices the future of aviation. Non-essential carbon-intensive activities will be the first to go if the planet comes close to boiling point, but restoring ecosystems helps to rebuild natural ‘carbon sinks’ to reduce excess emissions in our atmosphere.  

Ground-level sustainability 

Basic habits you can implement into your life can help ensure you aren’t damaging the planet while at home, sustainable shopping being one of them. Check the packaging and origins of fruits and vegetables to make sure they are grown in the UK, and if you can afford to, do the same with other produce too. If they are wrapped in plastic or have as many airmiles as you, it’s probably a sign not to buy them. Buying new clothes can also be harmful, from the way they are made to how they decompose after they are thrown away. We have enough clothes on earth to dress the next six generations, so shopping second hand is a super easy and affordable way of helping to save the planet.

Other sustainable habits include buying a reusable water bottle, turning off lights and travelling on foot when you are outside your aircraft. 

The future of flying

As well as on the ground, there are things you can do whilst out flying too. Accommodating a switch to sustainable fuel is becoming increasingly more possible. The biggest source of emissions with fuel consumption is the burning of kerosene; however, with new sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) introducing biofuels from plants and animal waste, CO2 emissions could be lowered by 20-98%. The quality and quantity of this fuel are still in process, but until then, here are some tips to get you off the ground. 

· If you are flying somewhere to stay overnight, do your research beforehand. Stay at hotels that are committed to sustainable standards. 

· Help make your airport more eco-friendly. Campaign for renewable energy use, a good recycling system, and educate others on sustainability techniques. 

· Travel light to reduce fuel use and try to use public transport as much as possible on your way to the airfield.

Mile by mile, aviation is the most unsustainable way to travel, and ignorance will only make things worse for the industry. The future of aviation is important and lies in our hands. We must reduce our carbon footprints whilst scientists work to make SAFs widely available, both in the air and on the ground, to prevent climate disaster and preserve aviation as we know it today.