In the series ‘NLR People’, we show you who the experts at the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre are, what drives them, and what they are working on behind the scenes. In this episode: Elisabeth van der Sman, works as a consultant and team leader for sustainable aviation at Royal NLR, the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR).
There’s a lot more to sustainable aviation than CO2 emissions. Our research gives the complete picture
At coffee machines in offices, in parliament buildings and at the European Commission in Brussels, climate change and aviation’s part in it have increasingly become topics of conversation. Yet although science has provided abundant evidence that climate change is going to have consequences for our planet, doubt is sometimes cast upon that fact in the debate within society.
Elisabeth van der Sman works as a consultant and team leader for sustainable aviation at Royal NLR, the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR). Among other things, she specialises in research on the impact of sustainable aviation fuels and new energy carriers, such as hydrogen, on sustainable aviation. She makes sure that the dialogues, discussions and debates are conducted using scientifically proven facts instead of people’s gut feelings. “We translate the results of our research into something that the authorities and the commercial sector can base their policies and plans on in practice. This role lets me play a tangible part in making aviation more sustainable – and that feels good.”
Prioritising a diverse team
Elisabeth has been interested in aviation since her childhood. Her family moved to Florence when she was young because her parents worked in the fine arts sector. As a child, she flew regularly between the Netherlands and Italy. She was captivated by planes and it was an enduing fascination. To let her combine her love of aviation with her technical side, she chose to study aerospace technology. That would have been equally possible in Pisa, near the family home, but she took the adventurous route and applied to Delft University of Technology.
After her studies, Elisabeth worked for several years at Shell but really wanted a job that would let her play a tangible role in creating a more sustainable future. That’s how she ended up at NLR in 2018. Having both the Dutch and Italian cultures in her life since she was very young has had a positive effect on her. “It’s taught me to look at things from more than just a single perspective and not to become too hidebound by my own ideas. Bringing different opinions together and making recommendations is something that suits me.”
That is an aspect she has used in her new role as the manager of the sustainability team. Her priority is to create an open atmosphere that everyone feels happy in. “Different ages, genders and nationalities bring all kinds of points of view and that benefits our results. I’ve got the leadership role, so I see it as my job to make sure everyone feels comfortable working here. I know from experience that having a flexible employer is important for young parents.”
A feeling that they need to have an impact permeates her team. Elisabeth sees that as typical of the younger generation, who are going to feel the consequences of climate change more and more strongly.
“We’re a diverse group of people who are working on the aerospace sector of the future. Which is only right: it’s a global challenge that demands an integrated, international approach.”
Making an impact through climate forums and a European roadmap
While there were virtually no climate agreements before 2019, governments at both European and national levels changed direction. Elisabeth’s involvement included work in the climate forums of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, which led in 2019 to the Draft Accord for Sustainable Aviation. Several Dutch parties discussed concrete contributions to the changes needed within different sectors. This resulted, among other things, in the Draft Agreement on Sustainable Aviation. Meanwhile, they were working on the Green Deal at the European level. In connection with this, Elisabeth was involved in developing Destination 2050 for the European aviation sector on behalf of NLR. This roadmap outlines a path to CO₂-neutral European aviation by 2050.
Studies have shown that most of the CO2 emissions (90%) can be eliminated by utilising new technologies, improving operational efficiency and – most importantly – flying on sustainable aviation fuels. The other ten per cent can be compensated by carbon capture and storage, in which emitted CO2 is captured so it does not enter the atmosphere. Though the conclusion there is once again that this will only be possible if the aviation sector and the authorities act jointly and forcefully. “In a relatively short period of time, we have moved from a situation where there were very few concrete climate commitments to one with a very clear objective: To become CO₂-neutral by 2050. The strategy is now in place. We are now supporting the industry and government in developing plans to actually achieve this goal.”
“In any case, it is nice to realise that more and more parties are prioritising sustainability.” In 2023, for example, NLR identified for Schiphol what is needed to bring the airport’s CO₂ emissions in line with the Paris Climate Agreement. “Based in part on the NLR study, the airport has called for increasing prices for long-haul flights. These obviously generate the most CO₂- emissions per flight.” This measure is also part of the new outline agreement.
The overall picture
The sector’s overall climate impact is about more than just reducing CO2 emissions. While plans for carbon-neutral aviation are now on the table, there is not yet a roadmap for a climate-neutral aviation sector that includes non-CO2 climate effects, such as emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOX), soot particles, sulphur oxides (SOX) and water vapour (H2O).
Addressing full spectrum of climate impacts
Addressing non-CO₂-climate impacts is an important step towards climate-neutral aviation. In the Climate-Neutral Aviation programme, NLR is working on cleaner and quieter aircraft that have less of an impact on the climate and the environment. The European ClimOP research project is part of that programme. The project is concluded and studied the operational improvements that will help tackle the full spectrum of aviation’s climate impact and which therefore also cover non-CO2 climate effects. Contrails are one example.
Some measures to reduce CO₂ emissions – such as the blending of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) – can also help reduce the non-CO2 climate impacts of flying. Elisabeth: “The composition of the fuel affects the particles and gases emitted during combustion. So this is a win-win situation.”
One thing is certain: aviation is a very complex sector in which developments and innovations require a long run-up. “There is no one silver bullet. To achieve climate-neutral aviation, much remains to be done in several areas.”
Would you like to learn more about non-CO₂–climate impacts? Take a look at the 2023 impact report, which, in addition to ClimOP, also covers other projects such as CICONIA.
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