This Week in Carbon This Week In Carbon - Episode 10
May 5, 2025
Stephanie Zhu, head of climate at Yum Brands and former sustainability leader at Delta Airlines, joins carbon market enthusiast Rene Velasquez for a lively discussion. They tackle the major hurdles of decarbonizing aviation, spotlighting sustainable aviation fuels and economic barriers. The duo also dives into new guidelines for corporate emissions strategies, stressing the importance of transparency and collaboration in achieving sustainability. The conversation wraps up with insights on the dynamic between NGOs and corporations and a dash of lighthearted banter.
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Challenges in Aviation Decarbonization
- Aviation is a hard-to-decarbonize sector facing many hurdles including scale and price parity of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
- Decarbonization requires pragmatic approaches balancing sector-specific technology and broader global emission considerations.
SAF Costs Challenge Airlines
- Airlines struggle to absorb SAF costs due to high prices and thin margins, despite operational and technological efficiencies.
- Scaling SAF production needs investment, guaranteed offtakes, and balancing competitive pricing pressures.
Build Business Cases for Sustainability
- Finance mechanisms and policies must support bridging the price gap for sustainable solutions like SAF.
- Build business cases aligning environmental benefits with economic viability and use incentives or mandates to drive adoption.