{"id":264445,"date":"2023-06-29T10:03:54","date_gmt":"2023-06-29T08:03:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=264445"},"modified":"2023-06-29T10:03:57","modified_gmt":"2023-06-29T08:03:57","slug":"indias-record-aircraft-orders-ignore-climate-goals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=264445","title":{"rendered":"India\u2019s Record Aircraft Orders Ignore Climate Goals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Vijay Jayaraj<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo recently made headlines with its record-breaking order of Airbus passenger jets. The deal, worth an estimated $50 billion, is the largest single order in Airbus history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the order for 500 of the A320neo aircraft is a major coup for Airbus, it is being termed a \u201csetback\u201d for climate action. It is worth noting that Air India<\/a>, another large carrier, recently placed orders totaling $70 billion in retail value for 470 aircraft from Airbus and Boeing, including 70 twin-aisle models.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These orders from IndiGo and Air India for 970 new planes are signs of India\u2019s growing economic power and rising middle class. Air travel is closely associated with economic growth, and these orders will help meet the subcontinent\u2019s growing demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the orders are another example of emerging economic powerhouses like India and China openly resisting the global climate madness and its calls to reduce fossil fuel emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aviation Industry and Emissions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has set numerous goals to reduce carbon emissions by 2050. As per IATA<\/a>, \u201cat the 77th IATA Annual General Meeting in Boston, USA, on 4 October 2021, a resolution was passed by IATA member airlines committing them to achieving net-zero carbon emissions from their operations by 2050.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Achieving this goal will require a significant reduction in emissions. It is unclear whether IndiGo\u2019s new aircraft deal will help meet the IATA\u2019s emissions goals. The A320neo is more fuel-efficient than previous models, but it still produces significant emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Airbus, the A320neo emits 20% less CO2 than the A320ceo, its predecessor. However, this still means that each A320neo will emit around 100 tons of CO2 per year. That is around 50,000 tons of new emissions per year in addition to the emissions from IndiGo\u2019s existing large fleet. That\u2019s considerably more than zero \u2013 net or otherwise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paris Agreement and Net Zero Are Meaningless<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Numerous national leaders have set ambitious goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which they believe will reverse a modest warming of the climate that they irrationally deem dangerous. The Paris Agreement, for example, calls for global emissions to peak by 2030 and to be at an ill-defined net zero by 2050. The agreement provides no reasonable way of achieving the goal nor a scientifically valid reason for doing so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Signatories of the Paris Agreement include India and France, home countries of the aircraft purchasers and of Airbus, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

India is already the world\u2019s third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, and its aviation sector is one of the fastest-growing in the world. With an increasing population already at 1.4 billion, the government is under pressure to provide affordable air travel to citizens. As a result, it is unlikely to restrict travel even if such measures are necessary to reduce emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

France has taken a different approach to the problem of climate change, banning<\/a> short-haul flights within the country to cut emissions. The new bill prohibits flights when a train trip of 2.5 hours or less is available. The law has been met with mixed reactions with environmentalists complaining that it doesn\u2019t go far enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, France has allowed Airbus to take all-time record-breaking orders from IndiGo and Airbus. It is quite difficult to understand why France would stop its own citizens from flying but would approve aircraft production for short-haul flights in India.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The incongruity of France \u2013 site of the Paris Agreement\u2019s signing \u2013 allowing huge aircraft orders from high-emission countries illustrates the net zero proponents\u2019 ongoing divergence from reality. Developing countries will continue to defy international climate goals as they become more intentional about addressing economic concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This commentary was first published at BizPac Review<\/a>, June 23, 2023, and can be accessed here<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vijay Jayaraj<\/a> is a Research Associate at the <\/em>CO2 Coalition<\/em><\/a>, Arlington, Virginia. He holds a master\u2019s degree in environmental sciences from the University of East Anglia, UK and resides in India<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo Credit:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:VT-ILY_-_IndiGo_-_Airbus_A321-251NX_-_MSN_10490_-_VGHS.jpg<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Md Shaifuzzaman Ayon, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0<\/a>>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo recently made headlines with its record-breaking order of Airbus passenger jets. The deal, worth an estimated $50 billion, is the largest single order in Airbus history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":264449,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691820600,691820590,691818056,691818076,691820589,691818154],"class_list":{"0":"post-264445","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-a320neo","9":"tag-air-india","10":"tag-climate-change","11":"tag-co2","12":"tag-indigo","13":"tag-net-zero","15":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/00indigo-cover.jpg?fit=1920%2C1080&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-16Nf","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":264372,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=264372","url_meta":{"origin":264445,"position":0},"title":"IndiGo\u2019s Record Aircraft Order Ignores Climate Action Goals","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"28\/06\/2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Indian low-cost carrier IndiGo recently made headlines with its record-breaking order of Airbus passenger jets. 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