UK Aviation Coalition Launches Market Signal to Scale Carbon Removal

The UK aviation sector has taken a concrete step towards long-term decarbonisation, with industry coalition Sustainable Aviation committing more than $2.5 million (£2 million) to Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR) credits. The pledge is intended to support the early growth of a market the sector will increasingly depend on in the decades ahead.

A commercial airplane receiving sustainable aviation fuel at Heathrow, advancing the aviation industry toward carbon neutrality. AI generated picture.

Announced at the Sustainable Skies World Summit, the initiative centres on the launch of an Advanced Market Signal—a demand-side mechanism designed to encourage the development and scaling of GGR technologies. Sustainable Aviation brings together UK airlines, airports, aerospace manufacturers, fuel producers, and industry partners under a shared goal of net-zero carbon aviation by 2050.

Duncan McCourt, Chief Executive of Sustainable Aviation, commented, 'Scaling Greenhouse Gas Removals is essential for hard-to-abate sectors, and this Advanced Market Signal is the aviation industry acting now to help stimulate the growth of the GGR sector.'

The Advanced Market Signal has drawn backing from some of the sector's largest names, including Airbus, British Airways, Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick Airport, London Luton Airport, Manchester Airports Group, and NATS.

The scale of the challenge ahead gives the commitment its urgency. Experts estimate that by 2050, the UK aviation sector will need between 20 and 30 million tonnes of carbon removal per year to neutralise residual emissions. GGR is expected to sit alongside a broader suite of measures — among them Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), hydrogen, next-generation aircraft, and airspace modernisation — in the sector's path to net zero.

Beyond carbon, Sustainable Aviation has also committed to tackling non-CO2 environmental impacts, including contrails and nitrogen oxides. A newly published position paper sets out the coalition's roadmap, covering real-time emissions monitoring on aircraft, SAF prioritisation on long-haul routes, optimised flight paths, and deeper engagement with the scientific community.

McCourt added, 'We have also made clear today that the aviation industry supports action to address the non-CO2 impact of aviation. By accelerating research, trials, and collaboration, we can deliver practical solutions that reduce aviation's full climate impact.'