Interview with Johanna Nylander, Sustainability specialist at GKN Aerospace’s Engines division

The Aviation Industry’s Climate Challenge – GKN Aerospace Takes the Lead

The aviation industry accounts for approximately one to three percent of the world’s total carbon emissions each year. This number is expected to rise as the industry continues to grow. Air travel worldwide is projected to double over the next 20 years, which increases the pressure on the aerospace industry to reduce its carbon footprint.

“It’s a huge challenge, but one that we take very seriously and work hard to address,” says Johanna Nylander, Sustainability specialist at GKN Aerospace’s Engines division.

While air travel in Europe and the U.S. is not expected to increase significantly—since these regions already experience high flight volumes—it is expected to grow rapidly in Asia, as well as in Africa and South America. As the middle class expands in these regions and more people can afford to fly, demand will naturally increase, just as it has done in Europe and the U.S. The combination of high emissions and an expanding industry has resulted in growing demands on aviation companies to lower their environmental impact.

“We are seeing higher expectations from multiple directions—stricter regulations, increased customer demands, societal pressure, and requirements for investment support. But we also impose higher internal standards and targets on ourselves,” Johanna explains.

Science-Based Targets Guide the Work

Many industries are currently working hard to achieve ambitious climate targets and contribute to mitigating global warming. At GKN Aerospace, the transition has been ongoing for a long time.

“The biggest impact we can make is through technological development—by making engines more efficient. This is the key to reducing aviation’s climate impact. No matter what fuel is used in the future, we will need efficient engines to make that fuel last as long as possible,” says Johanna Nylander.

The company follows several sustainability targets based on the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a framework that helps companies set scientifically validated climate goals in line with the Paris Agreement. The initiative was developed by organizations such as the United Nations and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

“It’s important to base our work on science-based targets and to measure climate impact accurately so we can take the most effective actions. We place significant emphasis on data collection to ensure well-informed decision-making,” Johanna adds.

Collaboration Is Key to Climate Transition

SBTi categorizes sustainability efforts into three groups, or scopes, ranging from direct emissions from a company’s own operations and purchased electricity to emissions from raw materials and the use of products.

GKN Aerospace’s goal for the first two scopes—covering internal operations and purchased energy—is to reduce emissions by 50 percent by 2030, using 2020 as the baseline year. To achieve this, the company is increasing the share of renewable energy at its sites worldwide.

For Scope 3, which includes emissions from transportation and business travel, the target is to reduce emissions by 25 percent by 2030 and to ensure that 70 percent of suppliers adopt ambitious climate targets as well.

"We have a significant carbon footprint from the materials we purchase, which is why we focus on new manufacturing methods that reduce material consumption— to produce the same amount of products with less material,” Johanna explains.

“We are also collaborating with our suppliers to help them lower the environmental impact of their materials. Reducing aviation’s climate impact requires the entire industry to work together. We want to be at the forefront, but we can’t do it alone. We set high standards for our partners and support our subcontractors in transitioning their own operations.”

The Future of Aviation Fuels

In the future, multiple types of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) will be available, and GKN Aerospace is working on engine technologies to support them. SAF, or biofuel, is already in use today, although still on a limited scale. The EU has set targets to increase SAF usage to 6 percent by 2030 and 20 percent by 2035.

Hydrogen is another potential fuel for sustainable aviation, particularly for short- and medium-haul flights.

<“Hydrogen-powered aviation requires not only different types of engines but also new aircraft designs with specialized fuel tanks. There is still a lot of work to do, but right now, the industry is heavily focused on innovation and new technologies. It’s an exciting time”, concludes Johanna Nylander.