In this episode, we speak with Lucca Ewbank, Program Manager, Transport at InfluenceMap, who shares how the non-profit think tank uses data-driven analysis to assess corporate engagement with climate policies, and holds the corporate and financial sectors accountable for their role in climate change.

Ewbank discusses:

1. The significant disparity between what airlines say publicly versus what they advocate for in private meetings with policymakers, uncovered through Freedom of Information (FOI) requests that reveal how industry associations often oppose stronger climate regulations.
2. The clear split within the aviation sector between “positive leaders” (typically low-cost carriers) who support more ambitious climate policies, and “laggards” (legacy carriers) who often oppose extensions of emissions trading schemes.
3. Concerns about sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) policies, particularly how some industry players advocate for feedstock calculations that might underestimate emissions.
4. The aviation industry’s consistent opposition to demand management measures, with examples of airlines taking legal action against flight caps at airports.
5. The role investors can play in encouraging positive climate policy engagement by holding companies accountable for their lobbying activities and pushing for transparency between public commitments and private advocacy.

Ewbank emphasises that while there are encouraging signs from some industry leaders, aviation emissions continue to grow rapidly even as other sectors reduce their climate impact, with EU aviation emissions rising 9.5% in 2023 while overall EU emissions fell by 8%.

If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversation we had with Matt Finch, UK Policy Manager at Transport & Environment, who discusses the need for more ambitious policies and actions to address aviation’s environmental impact. 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 [email protected]. For more content on sustainable aviation, visit our website green.simpliflying.com and join the movement. It’s about time.

Links & More:

InfluenceMap

New research shows major US airline and biofuel industries push for weaker US sustainable aviation fuel policy - InfluenceMap 

US Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) policies and corporate engagement - InfluenceMap 

EY, Capgemini & InfluenceMap: How to close the 'Say-Do Gap' - Sustainability Magazine