Boeing has taken a new role in a cross-industry grouping to help cut aviation emissions faster.
The American aircraft manufacturer will represent the aviation industry as a ‘sector champion’ in The First Movers Coalition (FMC), a global alliance to accelerate clean technologies and reduce carbon emissions.
Created in late 2021, the FMC aims to bring together major companies to speed up the pace of decarbonizing industrial sectors such as shipping, chemicals, aviation and trucking.
It is led by the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the US Envoy for Climate, John Kerry. Along with Boeing, other members of the FMC include Apple, Amazon and The Volvo Group.
“We are honored to serve as ‘champion’ for our sector and committed to partnering with FMC members and others on scaling SAF and accelerating low-carbon technologies to decarbonize aviation,” Brian Moran, Boeing vice president of global sustainability policy & partnerships said in a statement dated August 8, 2022.
Serving as ‘sector champion’, Boeing – led by leading SAF expert, Robert Boyd – will be representing aviation in First Movers Coalition, jointly established by the US Government and @wef to work toward our goals together. #FirstMoversCoalition
— The Boeing Company (@Boeing) August 8, 2022
Learn more: https://t.co/0RuRW5PWS0 pic.twitter.com/zg60Fpdop9
Some of the ways that the aviation industry is trying to cut emissions include by using sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), as well as aiming for electric and hydrogen aircraft. Airfare purchasers like fare aggregators and sellers, air freight purchasers, as well as airlines and air transport companies that are members of the FMC have set a target of replacing at least 5% of conventional jet fuel demand with SAF that reduces life-cycle emissions by 85% or more compared with kerosene and using zero-carbon emitting propulsion technologies by 2030.
To help fulfill its role as the ‘sector champion’ in aviation, Boeing has recruited one of the leading experts in SAF to work with the more than 50 companies in the FMC and other industry partners.
Robert Boyd will join Boeing from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), where he led decarbonization efforts, including advancing the commercial deployment of SAF and addressing policy, economic, sustainability and logistic challenges.
“Boeing has been a pioneer in making SAF a reality and having Robert join our team is further proof that we are 100% committed to working together to meet the industry’s net-zero emissions commitment by 2050,” Moran concluded.