Embraer launches concept line of ‘green planes’ amid ESG shift

Brazilian planemaker Embraer launched the concept of its new line of planes on Monday, entitled “Energia.” The new craft will come in four models which represent the company’s vision for the future — and for carbon-free air travel. 

The Energia family of planes comes three months after Embraer — the world’s third-largest planemaker — launched a broad ESG plan to reposition itself amid rising concerns about climate change. Aviation makes up for roughly 2 percent of global climate change-inducing emissions — a percentage which could double by 2050 unless the sector radically changes its energy sources.

Energia is still a long way from fruition, with the models still far from entering the development phase. The project includes electric craft powered by hydrogen cells as well as a dual-fuelled propellor plane capable of operating on liquid hydrogen or sustainable jet fuels known as SAF. Indeed, Embraer’s biggest carbon footprint comes from the fuel consumed by its customers.

The nine-seater Energia Hybrid was the first of the concept models, with a range of around 900 kilometers. As the name suggests, it is powered by a hybrid system: an electric motor is used for takeoff and ascent, and only then does the combustion engine kick in. The company estimates that the craft could be in operation by the end of the decade. And, if it uses sustainable fuel, the plane’s emissions could be cut by as much as 90 percent.

The second model, Energia Electric, is...