Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward the date by which net zero for aviation is implemented.

In July 2022, the Government published the Jet Zero Strategy, setting out its approach to achieving net zero (or “Jet Zero”) for the UK aviation sector, focusing on the rapid development of technologies in a way that maintains the benefits of air travel. Aviation is one of the most challenging sectors to decarbonise and through the Strategy the Department has set ambitious interim targets to ensure the sector plays its part in delivering the UK’s net zero commitments through to 2050.

These include introducing a CO₂ emissions reduction trajectory that sees aviation emissions peak in 2019 and residual emissions in 2050 that are comparable to the Climate Change Committee’s Balanced Net Zero pathway for aviation. In addition, the Department has set targets for UK domestic flights to reach net zero by 2040, and all airport operations in England to be zero emission by 2040.

In July 2023, the Department published “Jet Zero Strategy: One Year On”, highlighting the progress and achievements that have been made since the launch of the Strategy, and the next steps to deliver net zero aviation by 2050. The Department has committed to a major review of the Strategy and delivery plan every five years, supported by annual monitoring of progress against its emissions reduction trajectory from 2025.