Salesforce, Deloitte are among members of the First Movers Coalition (FMC) who have launched the Sustainable Aviation Challenge (SAC), calling for ecopreneurs to generate innovative solutions to support the decarbonization of the aviation sector.
Members of the FMC also include Airbus, Breakthrough Energy, Boom Supersonic, Eni, JetBlue Ventures, Qantas Airways Limited and World Energy.
An example of these solutions is sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a fuel that is made from renewable resources, organic materials or waste feedstocks, and is designed to significantly reduce emissions. However, SAF is expensive and not yet widely available.
The SAC is also encouraging solutions that reach beyond fuel alternatives, such as hydrogen and batteries, innovations in feedstock, engineering and physical and market infrastructure.
The FMC is a joint initiative launched in 2021 between the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the U.S. Department of State. It aims to scale emerging technologies for hard-to-decarbonize industries that represent more than one-third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. These include aviation, aluminum, chemicals, concrete, shipping, steel, trucking and direct air capture. The aviation industry contributes to roughly two percent of total global greenhouse gas emissions.
The challenge is hosted on UpLink, a global hub for innovation managed by the WEF. Solution proposals for the challenge will be accepted from August 24 to October 2, 2023. The top innovators will be announced later in the year and will benefit from the WEF and UpLink network in brand building, visibility and peer-to-peer learning opportunities.
Suzanne DiBianca, EVP and chief impact officer, Salesforce said: “To meet our climate goals, we must bring disruptive clean technologies to market at scale. Together with our partners, Salesforce thoughtfully approached this sustainability challenge as a way to support and foster innovative ideas from ecopreneurs who aim to help decarbonize the aviation industry.”
Stephen Snyder, managing director of operations and partnerships, JetBlue Ventures also commented: “We’re thrilled to support the Sustainable Aviation Fuel UpLink Challenge and collaborate with diverse stakeholders with the ultimate goal to make flying more sustainable. This initiative resonates with our commitment to driving innovation in aviation sustainability and unlocking groundbreaking solutions that will reshape the future of air travel.”
