Sustainability is a critical issue for all economic sectors, including aviation, where there is a greater scrutiny of its negative effects (noise, air quality and climate change) on the health and quality of life for European citizens and a desire for intensified action.
The aviation sector is known to be hard to decarbonise, but the past three years have delivered progress on key policies and legislation to advance the much-needed goals, such as the European Green Deal, the European Climate Law, the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy, the Zero Pollution Action Plan, the ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation and a revised Emissions Trading System (a mechanism to compensate for aviation emissions through the reduction of emissions in other sectors). You can check the related content section to read more on these policies.
A clear picture of the environmental performance and challenges that the sector faces is crucial when searching for improvements. Therefore, every 3 years, EASA publishes the European Aviation Environmental Report that offers an objective, clear and accurate overview of the sector’s historic and forecasted performance. It also provides recommendations to different kind of stakeholders, so that sustainability goals can turn into concrete actions.
The latest report came out in early 2025 - get it here! The report is in English but the Executive Summary and Recommendations are available in all EU and UN Languages. Keep on reading for some of the highlights.
Along with all other economic sectors, aviation finds itself at a crossroads in its decarbonisation transition, with increasing pressure to deliver against agreed environmental goals and challenges due to supply chain issues delaying fleet renewal as well as the premium price of Sustainable Aviation Fuel and limited production capacity. Much has been achieved in recent years to set us on the right path. However, we need to move faster. A concerted effort is required now. By addressing the issues within this report, we will be able to manage an orderly transition to cleaner aviation while maintaining a high uniform level of safety and connectivity.
Florian Guillermet - Executive Director - European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), in in his welcome message for the European Aviation Environmental Report 2025
Report Sections and Highlights
The European Aviation Environmental Report 2025 covers the following areas:
- Overview of Aviation Sector
- Aviation Environmental Impacts
- Technology and Design
- Air Traffic Management and Operations
- Airports
- Sustainable Aviation Fuel
- Market-Based Measures
- International Cooperation
Aviation emissions
In 2022, flights departing from EU27+EFTA (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland and Norway) represented 12% of total transport greenhouse gas emissions and 4% of total greenhouse gas emissions in EU27+EFTA.
The climate impact from aviation is a combination of both its CO2 and non-CO2 emissions. Non-CO2 emissions include Nitrogen Oxides (NOX), Particulate Matter (soot), Sulphur Oxides (SOX) and water vapour as well as the subsequent effects from the formation of contrail-cirrus clouds and aerosol-cloud interactions.
Aviation CO2 emissions
Aviation accounted for approximately 2.5% of global CO2 emissions in 2023. Absolute emissions have been growing significantly. 47% of the total aviation CO2 emissions between 1940 and 2019 occurred since 2000.
Good to know - Aviation Non-CO2 Experts Network
There is still significant uncertainty on the climate impacts from aviation non-CO2 emissions. In 2024, EASA launched an initiative called “Aviation Non-CO2 Experts Network (ANCEN)”, to best understand the impact of non-CO2emissions and how they can be mitigated.
Air traffic management and operations
How aircraft are operated and how the airspace is used have an impact on the emissions. Meeting ambitious environmental targets require more efficient operations leading to less excess fuel burn and emissions. In the past 3 years, there have been some developments in the area, namely the updated “European Air Traffic Management Master Plan in 2024”, that aims to establish Europe as the most efficient and environmentally friendly sky to fly in the world. Its implementation could lead to 9.3% less CO2 emitted per flight by 2025.
The impact from armed conflicts
Have you ever considered how armed conflicts can impact air operations efficiency? When certain airspaces are closed, operators might need to take longer, less efficient routes. For example, the closure of Ukraine’s airspace to commercial traffic was amplified by reciprocal airspace bans on Russian and many Western operators. East-west flights between Europe and Asia that previously travelled through Russian airspace need to divert, which adds travel time and fuel burn thereby lowering flight efficiency.
Airports
As well as greenhouse gas emissions, noise from air operations is an environmental impact that is particularly relevant at airports and surrounding areas. You will also find data on aircraft noise performance within the EAER 2025.
Airports play a role in reducing emissions through various ways, such as optimum flight path trajectories; electrification of ground vehicles and infrastructure; more sustainable ground operations, for example, with single engine taxiing; by facilitating the supply of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and exploring alternatives sources of low carbon energy like hydrogen and electricity.
Technology
The number of new certified large transport aircraft, like the commercial planes we fly in, and engine types over the last few years was limited and with marginal environmental improvements. New aircraft with improved fuel efficiency and lower noise are important mitigation measures but take time to develop and penetrate the global fleet. The use of alternative sources of energy, like electricity and hydrogen, are also still some way off for larger aircraft.
However, general aviation (smaller light aircraft for recreational use or private transport) are seen as a cradle for development, testing, and industrialisation of innovations and can drive improvements across the entire aviation sector.
Sustainable Aviation Fuels
This was one area where a big step was taken recently, following the approval of the RefuelEU Aviation Regulation in 2023. This piece of legislation sets mandatory targets for the supply of SAF at European airports, which will gradually increase from 2% in 2025 to 70% in 2050.
Sustainable Aviation Fuels have the potential to offer significant CO2 and non-CO2 emissions reductions on a lifecycle basis compared to conventional jet fuels, primarily achieved during the production process. As of 2024, SAF production represented only 0.53% of global jet fuel use. Significant expansion of production capacity is needed to meet future mandates and goals. A big issue with SAF is the price: it can cost 3 to 10 more times than conventional fuel. However, prices are expected to reduce as productions expands.
Market-Based Measures
Market-based measures are mechanisms to compensate for emissions. You can read more on it in this dedicated EASA Light Article. For aviation, the most well-known schemes are the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and ICAO CORSIA. A recent revision of the EU ETS in 2023 includes a gradual phase-out of free allowances to airlines and a reduction to the aviation emissions cap from 2024 onwards. That leads to allowances becoming more expensive and incentivises emissions reductions within the aviation sector.
International Cooperation
Aviation is international by nature, and consequently, sustainability of the sector can only be achieved with everyone on board. Several programmes dedicated to environmental protection have been put in place, namely by the EU and ICAO, to work with Partner States on common goals. European entities alone have collaborated with 112 Partner States and committed an estimated €20 million in civil aviation environmental protection projects since 2022.
In recent years, Europe’s aviation sector has continued to navigate a challenging yet crucial path towards sustainability. We are on the verge of a major change, affecting the entire sector – from technological, energy and operational perspectives. The recent milestone developments, both in Europe and globally, give aviation a clear path towards significantly lowering its climate footprint.
Magda Kopczyńska - Director-General for Mobility and Transport - European Commission, in her welcome message for the European Aviation Environmental Report 2025
Further reading
Check the full report and explore more success stories from stakeholders in turning sustainability goals into actions.
You can also read more on sustainability on EASA Light.