FAC Executive Summary

The UK aerospace sector is at a pivotal moment, facing significant climate change challenges while also presenting substantial opportunities for innovation and economic growth. The industry contributes around 1 per cent of UK GDP and offers unquantifiable benefits such as fostering business investment and enabling international travel for individuals. It directly employs over 230,000 people and contributes more than £22 billion to GDP. When non-CO2 effects are included, aviation accounts for approximately 4% of climate warming, with global aviation responsible for 1.2 Gt CO2e in 2019. Despite ambitious pledges for net-zero aviation by 2050, the sector is currently off track.