Air France and Carbon Neutrality: Will We Be Able to Fly with Peace of Mind in France Starting Next Year?

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By Stéphane Amant - Senior Manager

First, there was Greta, who traveled by train from Sweden so she wouldn't have to fly anymore. Then the Yellow Vests in France demanded more Tax Fairness in Mobility, openly criticizing the airline. And finally, discussions at the highest levels of government (in the Netherlands, Germany, France, etc.) have emerged to bring up the old, tired issue of kerosene taxation again. This has led, in particular, to a proposal for an aviation eco-tax in France. In short, as they say in the cockpit, “Stay in your seats, fasten your seatbelts—we’re about to hit some turbulence.” And to say that For several months now, the aviation industry has been in turmoil over environmental issues, with most critics condemning the sector’s lack of ambition (or even greenwashing) in its efforts to combat climate change.

Full compensation for domestic flights starting in 2020

Against this backdrop—which is turbulent to say the least—Air France CEO Anne Rigail announced that Starting January 1, 2020, the national airline would offset 100% of the CO2 emissions from its domestic flights [1][2]. That amounts to 500 flights per day… and approximately 3.5 million metric tons of CO2 each year (from combustion alone). According to the DG, “[Air France will] fund projects related to tree planting, forest conservation, the energy transition, and biodiversity conservation. This could amount, for example, to planting the equivalent of 70 million trees.”. What are we to make of this announcement, which is unprecedented in its scope, to say the least? First and foremost, it should be noted that nothing—absolutely nothing—compels Air France to participate in this program. Neither regulations nor even the upcoming CORSIA market-based mechanism, which will apply to the sector as of January 1, 2021… for international flights only. In this sense, This decision therefore deserves to be commended, especially since Air France is certainly not among the most profitable airlines on the market. Are emissions reduction and carbon sequestration in a plane that falls into the water? Air France will therefore purchase carbon credits on voluntary markets from certified projects, all of which, on paper, represent reductions in GHG emissions.

But unfortunately, There are as many types of carbon credits as there are CO2-emitting activities. : modernizing cooking equipment in developing countries, planting trees in France or elsewhere, protecting or restoring mangroves, funding solar panel projects, restoring ecosystems, preserving a forest that might (the conditional tense is important) be cut down, etc. Depending on the local context and the co-benefits they may generate independently of climate issues (such as biodiversity and improved living conditions for local populations), All of these projects can be meaningful and should be encouraged. However, given the challenge of achieving global carbon neutrality in human activity within the next 30 to 40 years, There are only two ways to save ourselves: drastically reducing our emissions, on the one hand, and increasing the physical and long-term sequestration of residual carbon, on the other. One cannot exist without the other, as the IPCC repeatedly emphasizes. As we had already discussed in an article about JetBlue before the summer [3], this means that The nature of the carbon credits purchased by Air France will determine the strength of its commitment in light of the fight against climate change. In this regard, the company should obtain credits only from actual and additional carbon sink projects, such as reforestation on degraded land or the development of agroforestry systems (also on degraded land), for example. Although These projects will never result in literal offsetting of emissions in the physical sense of the term (because of how long it takes for trees to grow, due to fires and diseases: see the excellent article by Alain Karsenty of CIRAD on Total and forests [4], they will help sequester additional carbon while improving living conditions locally.)

In any case, forget about REDD+ credits with insufficient climate integrity!The sector lacks a strategy commensurate with the challenge If implemented in accordance with these guidelines, Air France’s compensation policy will undoubtedly have certain merits. The progress made in this area is real and far exceeds that of many other industries—this is a point worth emphasizing. And Within its industry, it must also be acknowledged that the company performs better in this area than most of its competitors, and that's to his credit. But This approach should not serve as a convenient smokescreen for buying oneself a clear ecological conscience. A robust strategy to combat climate change cannot be content with mere window-dressing; it must seek to reduce its absolute emissions at all costs, and even help others reduce theirs if possible, in addition to helping increase carbon sinks [5].

In other words, compensation must under no circumstances overshadow the fundamental issue, which, incidentally, concerns not only Air France but the entire airline industry: How can we cut aviation CO2 emissions in absolute terms by half between 2005 and 2050? This is not only a collective commitment (supported by ICAO and IATA), but also the right order of magnitude to ensure that the sector’s emissions trajectory is consistent with the carbon neutrality of our operations on a global scale. It must be acknowledged that despite all the declarations of intent and the unanimously expressed “wishful thinking,” Aviation stakeholders are unable to explain exactly how to achieve this goal, caught in a kind of schizophrenia that leads them to rejoice in traffic growth that doubles every 15 years, even as this revered growth makes it virtually impossible to achieve the decarbonization goal they have set for themselves. There is currently no evidence that technological advances, sustainable alternative fuels (biomass-based or synthetic), or new energy carriers such as liquid hydrogen will be able to solve this impossible equation.

Even the ICAO acknowledges this, albeit indirectly, in a recent publication [6]. To be fair, it should be noted that this contradiction driven by growth is not unique to the aviation industry, but is present in virtually every economic sector … A step in the right direction, but by no means an end in itself So, in a nutshell, what should we make of Air France’s decision? That, first and foremost, it is a step in the right direction, provided the company takes the precautions mentioned above in selecting its carbon credits. However, this is by no means an end in itself; the priority is our climate future the absolute reduction in GHG emissions. This is anything but obvious for an industry driven by unchecked growth. In addition, here’s an open suggestion to boost interest in Air France’s initiative: Perhaps if travelers were made to bear the cost of this compensation, the approach would be more virtuous because it would be much more educational?

Finally, neutrality from a corporate perspective cannot be conceived of independently of global neutrality—in the sense of the Earth’s system—which is what we must strive for above all else. It is important to incorporate any attempt at neutrality as part of an approach that goes beyond the company—at the regional level, for example. In the case of Air France, the right question to ask should rather be: “How can I actively contribute to France’s carbon neutrality by 2050?” And the answer would not necessarily be the same as the one the airline is providing today. That is why we recommend that Air Franceadopt a different semantic approach right away, by shifting from “carbon offsetting” (synonymous with "cancellation of broadcasts," which is inaccurate) "contribution to neutrality."

Article written by Stéphane Amant - Senior Manager

Sources: [1] Le Parisien [2] France Inter - the "Detox" segment [3] Carbon 4 - Jet Blue [4] Total and Forests [5] Carbon 4 - From Offsetting to Contributing [6] ICAO