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How close are we to eco-friendly flying?

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Lukas Stege | Holm Weber
May 27, 2025

Air traffic continues to grow, although flying is the most environmentally harmful way to travel. That's why experts are trying to make aviation more eco-friendly. But how realistic is this idea?

There's growing urgency to reduce the environmental impact of flying, but what is the future of climate-friendly aviation? 

Experts emphasize that the coming decades are critical to achieving climate goals by 2050. While passenger awareness of carbon footprints is growing, the industry still faces major challenges. Renewable hydrogen fuel is seen as essential, but there's no clear timeline for its implementation.

Aviation currently contributes 3.5% of global CO2 emissions, with two-thirds of its climate impact stemming from non-CO2 effects like contrails and atmospheric chemical reactions.

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Lukas Stege Reporter and presenter working at DW since 2016.
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