‘World’s first net zero transatlantic flight’ might not be so green after all
Virgin Atlantic and the UK government have been accused of misleading the public over what they claim will be “the world’s first net zero transatlantic flight” ahead of next week’s COP28 summit.
The Department for Transport said the flight, scheduled for Tuesday, was “ushering in a new era of guilt-free flying” because it will run entirely on so-called “sustainable aviation fuel” (SAF).
But openDemocracy revealed concerns earlier this year that SAF production in the UK may be linked to deforestation.
“There are some incredible double standards at play here,” said Matt Finch, UK policy manager of green campaign group Transport & Environment.
The SAF market in the UK is largely dependent on used cooking oil from Asia – where sellers are suspected of passing off unused palm oil as waste in order to attract lucrative credits. This is a particular problem for the environment, as producing palm oil drives deforestation. [Continue reading…]