The Department of Transportations (DoTr) is aiming for net-zero emissions for the aviation industry by 2050 to ensure sustainable growth for the sector.

Transportation Secretary Jaime J. Bautista said the DoTr is collaborating with industry stakeholders to support the development of nature-based carbon sink projects. A carbon sink is anything that absorbs more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases, for example, plants, the ocean and soil, according to ClientEarth Communications.

“Part of the initiative is the promotion of biofuels or sustainable aviation fuels or SAF,” Bautista said at the 3rd International Civil Aviation Organization-European Union Aviation Safety Agency Forum on Civil Aviation in Southeast Asia on Tuesday.

“We partnered with a top local university to create opportunities for local carbon sink projects that would become a source of local air carriers’ emission offsetting requirements,” he said.

Bautista said the DoTr will collaborate with civil aviation regulatory agencies in Europe and Southeast Asia to come up with concrete plans to hit its goals.

“This enhanced cooperation among civil aviation regulatory agencies in Europe and Southeast Asia would hopefully lead to improved aviation safety and environmental sustainability while strengthening our resilience to shocks and disruptions in the region,” he said.

According to the transport chief, air traffic in 2023 had significantly increased by 36.9 percent compared to the previous year.

Bautista noted that this was approximately double, or 94.1 percent higher, than the levels seen before the pandemic.

Thus, the DoTr anticipates that global air traffic will reach impressive figures by 2041, with an estimated 19.3 billion passengers, 200 million tons of cargo, and 153.8 million aircraft movements expected.