Airlines, renewables companies push Biden to make air travel greener

USairlines and renewables companies are lobbying the Biden administration to back a big increase in subsidies for lower-carbon aviation fuel, arguing new incentives are needed to help fight climate change and will also make their recovery from the pandemic much greener, industry trade groups said. The push reflects the hefty price that US taxpayers may be asked to pay as President Joe Biden seeks to follow through on his plan to both decarbonize the US economy by 2050 and to help battered industries recover from the economic meltdown. Air travel contributes around 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the Air Transport Action Group said. It is projected to grow rapidly in coming decades if airlines do not quickly switch to “sustainable aviation fuel.” This is made from biologically-sourced wastes like old cooking oil, animal fat and plant oils and is a much more expensive product than traditional jet fuel. The sustainable aviation fuel industry senses a political opening with the Biden administration after four years during which former President Donald Trump downplayed the threats from global warming and backed regulations that maximized fossil fuels development. “The difference is we’ve got an ear now that’s much more sympathetic to figuring out near-term solutions to policy, research and development,” said Bryan Sherbacow, chief commercial officer for low-carbon fuels provider World Energy. Story has more.<br/>