Grant Shapps: Emissions-free technology is 'the future of aviation'

Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps MP, says he's "confident" about reaching net-zero in transport emissions by 2050.

Ministers say new technology will allow domestic flights to be emissions-free by 2040, and international aviation to be zero carbon by mid century.

Appearing on GB News' Brazier & Muroki show, Shapps said "we have sustainable aviations fuels, we had the world's first hydrogen aircraft fly in the United Kingdom, and we've got battery technology coming along," all of which will "point the way for the future of aviation."

Nonetheless, environmentalists have criticised this policy by arguing that the government is putting far too much faith in innovation.

Shapps said that aviation is "just 1.2%" of transportation carbon emissions, while cars take up "90% of it comes from road, and fortunately when it comes to road transport, the technology is already here."

"We're seeing one in seven cars already being sold with a plug on the end of it. In other words, electric," he said.

When asked whether charging points were more difficult to come by outside London, Shapps said "there are more charging locations in the UK now than petrol stations," and "we're investing massively in the rollout of charging on streets and even very interesting innovative technologies. For example, we have an experiment that we've announced which is wireless charging onto the street. You just park and and charge a vehicle. So there are lots of things which will come along to help plug the gap in the next few years."

Watch the full interview above.