The airline industry's central sustainability goal of net zero emissions by 2050 is at risk from the policies of climate change sceptics, such as US President Donald Trump.
The rise of world leaders who support fossil fuels over renewable energy development and the scaling back of environmental regulations are “obviously a setback”, Marie Owens Thomsen, Iata's senior vice president of sustainability and chief economist, said. “It does imperil success on the 2050 horizon,” she said.
“But I don't think it's going to reverse or halt progress, it will just slow progress. Now that's bad enough ... the 2050 deadline is coming furiously fast.”
During its annual meeting in New Delhi last week the International Air Transport Association (Iata) nevertheless remained committed to the 2050 target date, despite airing escalating concerns about the cost, availability and insufficient government incentives for the production of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).
This is not where we should be in 2025 ... there is no time for delay and no tolerance for government greenwashing and unnecessary cost increases
Willie Walsh,
director general, Iata
Iata member airlines agreed in 2021 to target net zero emissions in 2050 based mainly on a gradual switch to SAF, which is made from waste oil and biomass. The aviation industry accounts for 2.5 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions, according to the International Energy Agency. But it has come under increasing pressure from environmentalists to curb its carbon footprint amid booming air travel demand.
While the amount of SAF produced will double to two million tonnes in 2025, that represents only 0.7 per cent of airlines' jet fuel demand, according to Iata's latest data. The average cost of SAF in 2024 was 3.1 times that of jet fuel, for a total additional cost of $1.6 billion, according to Iata estimates. In 2025, the global average cost for SAF is expected to be 4.2 times that of jet fuel.
“Another problem, which is related, is that oil is so cheap,” Ms Thomsen said. “I think that also diminishes the sense of urgency that people have.”
Oil prices will need to trade above $80 a barrel, or even above $100 a barrel, before there is pressure to create new energy markets, she said. Brent, the benchmark for two thirds of the world's crude, was trading around $66 a barrel on Sunday. Lower oil prices come amid Mr Trump's tariffs scheme, his calls to "drill baby drill" and a decision by Opec to hike crude output quotas.
Iata estimates the cost of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 to be an enormous $4.7 trillion, or $174 billion a year. However, ramping up the production of SAF is “entirely achievable” as there is sufficient feedstock and the technology is available to get started, Ms Thomsen said.
The required SAF investments are comparable to the money governments had poured into developing previous new energy markets such as wind and solar, she said, adding that the funding can also be found by scrapping subsidies to the world's major oil producing companies.
“The world is subsidising large oil companies to the height of $1 trillion per year. With that money, if it were redirected in its totality, we could solve our energy transition in less than five years,” she said. “The thing that is really missing is the courage and willingness to take on vested interests.”
Sounding the alarm
SAF production needs an “exponential expansion” to meet the demands of the airline industry’s commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, said Iata, which represents some 350 airlines, comprising more than 80 per cent of global air traffic. Airlines cannot achieve the target by themselves and require more urgent action from governments, manufacturers, airport operators and fuel suppliers, Willie Walsh, Iata's director general, said.
“These actions must be accompanied by ringing the alarm bells on SAF production,” he said at the Iata meeting in India. Iata's decarbonisation roadmap estimates that SAF will provide 65 per cent of the carbon mitigation needed in 2050.
“This is not where we should be in 2025. We have a quarter-century to get to net zero. There is no time for delay and no tolerance for government greenwashing and unnecessary cost increases,” Mr Walsh said.
Top priorities
In April Mr Walsh had warned that industry efforts to achieve net zero by 2050 were “off track”, but he said last week that any alteration of the target was no discussed at the airlines' meeting in New Delhi.
“The industry is still obviously targeting net zero in 2050 ... we are concerned about the pace of progress,” he said. The value chain that needs to support airlines' transition to net zero is not making sufficient progress, and “that's the reason we're calling it out”, he added.
Poorly co-ordinated government actions are leading to SAF mandates in different countries that have done little to stimulate production but have instead led to additional costs to the airlines without environmental benefits, he said.
The Iata boss said there was a narrow window for the industry to meet its goals. “It is a wake up-call. We still have time to get there, but we do need to see more action on the part of all the partners in the value chain to make sure the industry can get there,” he said.
As of 2025, some 81 airlines had signed 170 SAF offtake agreements, signalling to producers that there is strong demand for the green fuel, according to Iata. Many airlines are unable to procure SAF without having to ship it over long distances, which defeats the purpose of reducing emissions, Mr Walsh said.
'Waning enthusiasm'
Four years after global carriers committed to net zero by 2050, the Iata meeting marked escalating worry among airline chiefs about tackling climate concerns.
“There's a level of scepticism and perhaps even you could say waning enthusiasm for the overall energy transition,” Patrick Healy, group chair at Cathay Pacific, said during a panel on financing net zero target. “Everyone's realising it's a lot more complicated than we thought a few years ago ... but it's not a problem we can turn our backs on.”
Iata forecasts higher profits for airlines in 2025, with a drop in revenue offset by falling prices for traditional jet fuel. Rob McLeod, head of energy risk solutions at Hartree Partners, called on airlines to use the savings from fuel costs to invest more in SAF to help fund the energy transition.
“Lower fossil fuel prices effectively make renewables seem more expensive, but to flip it on its head: all the airlines in the room are saving so much money on their fossil jet [fuel], you've maybe got a bit more in your budget to invest more in SAF,” he told a panel about the energy transition.
Iata also criticised plane manufacturers that have failed to deliver new fuel-efficient jets on time, forcing airlines to keep older planes flying for longer.
“Aircraft and engine manufacturers must make good on their promises to bring greater efficiency and carbon-reducing technologies to market fast,” Mr Walsh said. “By the time we meet next year, we must be able to show more progress.”
Glossary of a stock market revolution
Reddit
A discussion website
Redditor
The users of Reddit
Robinhood
A smartphone app for buying and selling shares
Short seller
Selling a stock today in the belief its price will fall in the future
Short squeeze
Traders forced to buy a stock they are shorting
Naked short
An illegal practice
Juliot Vinolia’s checklist for adopting alternate-day fasting
- Don’t do it more than once in three days
- Don’t go under 700 calories on fasting days
- Ensure there is sufficient water intake, as the body can go in dehydration mode
- Ensure there is enough roughage (fibre) in the food on fasting days as well
- Do not binge on processed or fatty foods on non-fasting days
- Complement fasting with plant-based foods, fruits, vegetables, seafood. Cut out processed meats and processed carbohydrates
- Manage your sleep
- People with existing gastric or mental health issues should avoid fasting
- Do not fast for prolonged periods without supervision by a qualified expert
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Skoda Superb Specs
Engine: 2-litre TSI petrol
Power: 190hp
Torque: 320Nm
Price: From Dh147,000
Available: Now
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The Uefa Awards winners
Uefa Men's Player of the Year: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Uefa Women's Player of the Year: Lucy Bronze (Lyon)
Best players of the 2018/19 Uefa Champions League
Goalkeeper: Alisson (Liverpool)
Defender: Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
Midfielder: Frenkie de Jong (Ajax)
Forward: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
Uefa President's Award: Eric Cantona
MATCH INFO
RB Leipzig 2 (Klostermann 24', Schick 68')
Hertha Berlin 2 (Grujic 9', Piatek 82' pen)
Man of the match Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 6 (McTominay 2', 3'; Fernandes 20', 70' pen; Lindelof 37'; James 65')
Leeds United 2 (Cooper 41'; Dallas 73')
Man of the match: Scott McTominay (Manchester United)
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Secret Pigeon Service: Operation Colomba, Resistance and the Struggle to Liberate Europe
Gordon Corera, Harper Collins
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
AL%20BOOM
%3Cp%20style%3D%22text-align%3Ajustify%3B%22%3E%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3B%26nbsp%3BDirector%3AAssad%20Al%20Waslati%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%20style%3D%22text-align%3Ajustify%3B%22%3E%0DStarring%3A%20Omar%20Al%20Mulla%2C%20Badr%20Hakami%20and%20Rehab%20Al%20Attar%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EStreaming%20on%3A%20ADtv%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
Company Profile
Company name: NutriCal
Started: 2019
Founder: Soniya Ashar
Based: Dubai
Industry: Food Technology
Initial investment: Self-funded undisclosed amount
Future plan: Looking to raise fresh capital and expand in Saudi Arabia
Total Clients: Over 50
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
The biog
Name: Younis Al Balooshi
Nationality: Emirati
Education: Doctorate degree in forensic medicine at the University of Bonn
Hobbies: Drawing and reading books about graphic design
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
