There has never been a greater challenge to humankind

At a recent Aerospace, Defence and Security (ADS) event in London Warren East, CEO Rolls-Royce described how public concern about aviation emissions is endangering Rolls-Royce’s license to operate. He talked about the importance of the aviation sector and how critical it is for connecting travellers and businesses across the globe; a key driver of growth and wellbeing.

"Flight has been such a good thing for everybody. The question is how do we, in the world of aviation, need to pioneer flying without adding more CO2 to the atmosphere? " he asked.

"At Rolls-Royce, we were pioneers 100 years ago, and we are pioneers today. We don't have all of the answers yet, we are part of the solution."

Net zero carbon by 2050

As a company, we are committed to a pathway that gets the whole of Rolls-Royce to net zero carbon by 2050 – however there is no one single silver bullet that will take aviation towards this goal.

It will be a combination of improved engine and aircraft efficiency, championing electrification, new technologies and designs, and changes to infrastructure and sustainable fuels.

"In 20 years - the life of one commercial aircraft - the planet will be supporting four times more people than it did a hundred years before when jet engines became a reality. This is a massive strain on our natural ecosystem," added Warren. "There has never, ever, I believe been a greater challenge to humankind. But, for us, there has never been a more exciting time to be in the midst of what we need to do to address it."