After years in the making, nations finally agreed to curb greenhouse gas emissions from airplanes worldwide by 2050.

Source: Al Jazeera English/YouTube

After nearly 10 years of talks surrounding the issue, nations of the world committed to drastically lowering emissions from the world’s airplanes by 2050. This is a huge milestone in efforts to help curb global warming.

To reach net zero in the air travel industry, governments, as well as companies, would need to invest hundreds of billions of dollars to make airplanes more efficient and to stop carbon dioxide from being pumped into the air. Although some companies have begun tree-planting programs to offset aviation emissions, there will never be enough to curb the huge amount of pollution the industry creates.

Although the target of 2050 is a great place to start, there is no guarantee of success. India and China argued at the talks in Montreal this week about the issue that their carrier would require at least until 2060 or 2070 to achieve net zero emissions. The agreement also does not assign targets to specific countries or airlines, which leaves the rules to each country.

Recently, French lawmakers voted on abolishing domestic flights to places that could be covered by train in less than two and a half hours. It’s another step by the government to reduce carbon emissions.

Source: BBC News/YouTube

The French government has pledged to cut emissions by 40% in 2030, relative to 1990 levels. The state also said it would contribute capital to airline Air France to improve financials after industry devastation following the coronavirus pandemic.

Raise awareness for climate change by grabbing one of these recycled climate change-themed tees or sweats by sustainable clothing brand Tiny Rescue and check out the entire climate change collection!

Related Content:

• Airline Works with Artists to Repurpose Old Plane Parts into Art
• Alaska Airlines Flight Hits and Kills Brown Bear on Runway During Landing
• France Wants to Ban Short Domestic Flights to Reduce Carbon Emissions
• Boeing Shares Goal for its Airlines to Fly on 100% Biofuel by 2030
• Alaska Airlines Bans Emotional Support Animals

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based recipe app on the App Store to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take the initiative by standing up against fast fashion pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that raise awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
• Support Independent Media: Being publicly funded gives us a greater chance to continue providing you with high-quality content. Please consider supporting us by donating!
• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and essential stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, donate if you can, grow your own food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!