United's CSO lifts the lid on SAF

United CSO Lauren Riley and Carbon Direct's Nili Gilbert discuss the road to sustainable aviation fuel in the context of climate change and industry shifts. The aviation sector has long been under scrutiny for its environmental impact. Since the dawn of commercial flight, concerns about its ecological footprint have been ever-present. Today, as we face the urgent challenge of climate change, the industry finds itself at a critical juncture. Airlines currently account for 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with an estimated 37.8m annual flights generating a staggering 800m tonnes of CO₂. These figures paint a stark picture of the industry's environmental toll. But is this carbon-convenience trade-off inevitable? According to Nili Gilbert, Vice Chairwoman of Carbon Direct and Lauren Riley, CSO of United Airlines, the answer is a resounding no. Their vision for the future of aviation centres on a game-changing solution: sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).<br/>