UK announces ‘Jet Zero’ plan to drive down aviation emissions

The U.K. aims to drive down greenhouse gas emissions from aviation to make carbon-free transatlantic flights possible within a generation, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said on Friday.

Shapps said he has formed a group bringing together leaders from aviation, environmental groups and government to form the “Jet Zero Council,” as he seeks to rebuild the industry in the wake of the Covid pandemic. The industry is determined to have a “greener restart,” he said in the government’s daily coronavirus briefing.

“This group will be charged with making net zero emissions possible for future flights,” Shapps said. “Our goal, within a generation, will be to demonstrate flight across the Atlantic without harming the environment.”