Countries Are Currently Working Together to Find Sustainable Methods of International Travel

On March 16th, countries in the G20 committee were trying to come to an agreement on the issue of sustainable international travel. Over recent years, the rapid growth and development of international travel has, simultaneously, improved travel, making it more efficient, and contributing greatly to climate change, forcing this to become a pressing issue that countries are working to implement solutions for.

Countries such as South Korea, France, South Africa, and Japan, among others, propose a solution of alternative fuel sources. Since over 90% of current international transportation is still fueled by fossil fuels, making this one of the most vocal solutions. SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuels) is one alternative fuel source that was mentioned. SAF is an alternative fuel source for jets, made of non-petroleum feedstocks. More specifically, this includes municipal solid waste, woody biomass, and fats/grease/oil. 

France spoke up regarding SAF, saying “Providing more funding towards LEDCs (less economically developed countries) and sharing them (SAFs) and we want to reach a goal of higher percentages of SAFs being used,” France itself is a MEDC (more economically developed country), however the solutions it has proposed are to benefit only LEDCs, not mentioning very much on their own initiatives. France then goes on to speak about how 20% of companies should implement SAF by 2030, which can apply to both France and other countries' companies. 

Thomas the train spoke about his experience using railways, explaining how they make him able to travel across long distances. When being pressured about how unsustainable the materials and construction of the railways are, such as the pollution and deforestation from the tracks. Thomas proposed the point that trains are just one mode of transportation that has been contributing to climate change. 

Another solution that several countries brought up is high speed rails. Countries such as Japan and China have already started to implement these rails. These rails are much more energy efficient and more trains means less cars on the road.

Over the past decades, the rapid increase in transportation methods and their efficiency has made global interactions increasingly more possible and easier. Carbon emissions are at an all time high, making sustainability a top priority for most countries. Instead of using fossil fuel sources to power jets and trains, countries are looking for ways to reduce and substitute more environmentally friendly sources of energy. This issue is one of the most increasingly relevant issues that are currently being addressed by the G20 committee.