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“Cleaner flight is possible, but it requires changing how we think about both risk and return,” Victor said. “We need new institutions, incentives, and partnerships that reward innovation, not just incrementalism.”

The commentary, written by a multinational team of scholars, also highlights a broader lesson for climate policy: global decarbonization goals such as “net zero by 2050” sound bold and ambitious.  But when it becomes clear that they can’t be met these goals make it harder to focus on the practical steps needed today to drive change in real-world markets.

Ultimately, the paper argues for action that begins now. By developing better tools to evaluate climate-friendly investments and by rewarding companies willing to take calculated risks on breakthrough technologies, governments, investors and industry leaders can accelerate real progress toward decarbonization. 

The paper was co-authored by Thomas Conlon of University College Dublin, Philipp Goedeking of Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz (Germany) and Andreas W. Schäfer of University College London. 

Read the full article, “Mobilizing Capital and Technology for a Clean Aviation Industry,” in Science.  

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