Air travel is an area where we are far behind in the green transition, which means that flying is still very environmentally damaging. And while, among other things, the UN's International Civil Aviation Organization ICAO is failing, fortunately there are countries that are taking up the gauntlet. One of the countries that is at the forefront is Denmark.

From ambition to reality

We were excited when the Prime Minister set ambitious green goals in his New Year's speech in 2022: green domestic routes and a green future for aviation. The ambition was followed up with concrete action in the form of a passenger tax, which has now come into force and is used, among other things, for green domestic routes and a more general green transition of aviation. Danish travelers are thus already contributing financially to the green transition. But the money must be used strategically wisely - so that we get the greatest possible effect in relation to in relation to transitioning aviation.

E-fuels are the next natural step

It makes good sense to reuse, for example, Danish frying oil for aviation fuels, but due to the quantities, it is not something that can be scaled in a sustainable way. It is therefore only a limited part of the solution. Therefore, it is crucial for the transformation of aviation to develop new green fuels made from green electricity for aviation, so-called eFuels.

E-fuels are no longer a distant vision, but a concrete possibility. The technology can make air transport significantly more climate-friendly without compromising mobility. If Denmark prioritizes investments and development here, we can not only deliver on our own climate goals – we can also inspire the rest of Europe. And if Denmark contributes to the transition of global aviation just 14 days earlier than usual, the climate effect is as large as Denmark's total CO2 emissions.

Therefore, we recommend that we use a large part of the revenue from the passenger tax to enable Danish companies to develop and make the technology cheaper. This will be an incredibly important contribution to the global transformation of aviation, and it will also ensure that Danish companies have knowledge and know-how in another important area that we know will be in demand in the future.

Denmark as a leading country

Denmark has a tradition of leading the way in clean-tech and green energy. We have shown that, for example, wind turbines could become an export product, while also making a substantial contribution to the green transition of many countries. eFuels for aviation could be another important contribution, which will also strengthen Danish companies and their competitiveness. Danish passengers already pay the bill through the passenger tax. With the right political choices, we can ensure that they also get the benefit – in the form of real green air travel.