Energy

<p><span data-contrast="auto">Denmark aims to make its domestic flights fossil fuel-free by the end of the decade, according to its Prime Minister.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">In her new year&rsquo;s address, Denmark&rsquo;s Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen announced that she aims to &ldquo;make flying green&rdquo; inside the country. Although she acknowledges that the solutions are not yet in place in order to reach this goal, the announcement marks a strong &mdash; if not fully official &mdash; embracing of this goal.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">On a larger scale, Denmark aims to slash its overall carbon emissions by 70% compared to 1990 levels, by 2030. Fredriksen&rsquo;s aim to de-couple internal flights from fossil fuel use would help push the country closer to that goal.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">She admits that making domestic flights fully green is no small feat, adding that researchers as well as transport companies are working to find solutions.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">For example, Airbus, a European airplane manufacturer, has announced plans to have hydrogen-fueled planes operational by 2035. If that hydrogen is generated using renewable energy, it could be one avenue through which Denmark could make good on its goal.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">However, </span><span data-contrast="none">it&rsquo;s not yet clear whether said tech will be ready to use on planes</span><span data-contrast="auto">, in a cost-efficient manner, by 2030.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">That being said, there is growing international interest in this regard &mdash; Sweden has also announced plans to make domestic flights fossil fuel-free by 2030, and international flights by 2045. France is also moving to ban domestic flights on routes where trains would take under two-and-a-half hours to make the same journey.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Researchers and manufacturers will surely take this interest into account and it will help to spur development. For example, there has been some encouraging progress in the field of electric planes, although for now, it remains confined to smaller aircraft.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">The air transport sector is a major polluter worldwide. Although domestic flights account for only a small part of its emissions, the smaller distances involved make it a prime area for innovation and development. In time, progress here could make its way on vehicles serving international routes.</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">Source: ZME Science</span><span data-ccp-props="{&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335559739&quot;:160,&quot;335559740&quot;:259}">&nbsp;</span></p>