Sustainability In The Air
Travel makes the world a smaller and better place. Aviation has bounced back. However, as we experience climate change, we worry about our environmental impact. Sustainability in The Air, the world’s first podcast dedicated to sustainable aviation. Every week, Shashank Nigam, the CEO of SimpliFlying, talks to Airline, airport, travel and technology executives to help make sense of the Wild-West scenario. Our mission is to show the many paths to net zero, for an industry that is one of the hardest to decarbonize. Whether you're a frequent flier, an airline Executive or just love traveling, if you care about sustainable global travel then welcome aboard. Our mission is to get you the latest insight from a top airline or technology C-level executive willing to share their organization's journey to building a sustainable future.Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content about sustainable aviation visit our website simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.
Sustainability In The Air
Why Mission Possible Partnership believes cross-sector collaboration can accelerate aviation’s path to net-zero
In this episode, we speak with Dick Benschop, Chair of the Board at Mission Possible Partnership (MPP),
an alliance of climate leaders focused on supercharging efforts to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors.
Benschop discusses:
- The challenge of decarbonising aviation amid rapid growth with focus on both efficiency and sustainable fuels.
- How blending mandates can break the “chicken and egg” problem between SAF suppliers and airlines, with Europe’s 2% mandate in 2025 serving as a catalyst for market development. Currently, there are 40 SAF plants in operation and 10 with Final Investment Decision (FID), representing about 50% of 2030 capacity needs, with 143 more plants announced*.
- The importance of smart environmental constraints over simple capacity caps, advocating for declining noise and CO2 emission limits that allow airlines to “earn their place” through innovation.
- The potential for electric and hydrogen aircraft to serve up to one-third of aviation energy demand by 2050, with electric planes operational by 2030 and hydrogen aircraft following by 2035.
- How breaking down silos between sectors can accelerate decarbonisation, using lessons from aviation’s blending mandates to inform solutions in other industries like green fertiliser production.
Benschop emphasises that achieving net-zero aviation requires looking beyond individual sectors to system-wide solutions, highlighting the need for coordinated action across industry, government and consumers.
*Note: The podcast mentions different figures for the number of SAF plants needed. The numbers cited above reflect MPP’s latest analysis, which shows that actual plants are larger than initially assumed, meaning fewer total plants are needed to meet 2030 capacity targets.
If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Andrew Chen, Principal for Aviation Decarbonisation at RMI, who shares the non-profit’s multi-faceted approach to aviation decarbonisation. Check it out here.
Learn more about the innovators who are navigating the industry’s challenges to make sustainable aviation a reality, in our new book ‘Sustainability in the Air’. Click here to learn more.
Feel free to reach out via email to podcast@simpliflying.com. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.
Links & More:
Aviation - Mission Possible Partnership
