Socio-technical imaginaries of climate-neutral aviation

Limiting global warming to 1.5 °C is crucial to prevent the worst effects of climate change. This entails also the decarbonization of the aviation sector, which is considered to be a "hard-to-abate" sector and thus requires special attention regarding its sustainability transition. However, transition pathways to a potentially climate-neutral aviation sector are unclear, with different stakeholders having diverse imaginations of the sector's future. This paper aims to analyze socio-technical imaginaries of climate-neutral aviation, as different perceptions of various stakeholders on this issue have not been sufficiently explored so far. In that sense, this work contributes to the current scientific debate on socio-technical imaginaries of energy transitions, for the first time studying the case of the aviation sector. Drawing on six decarbonization reports composed by different interest groups (e.g. industry, academia, and environmental associations), three imaginaries were explored, following the process of a thematic analysis: rethinking travel and behavioral change (travel innovation), radical modernization and technological progress (fleet innovation), and transition to alternative fuels and renewable energy sources (fuel innovation). The results reveal how different and partly conflicting socio-technical imaginaries are co-produced and how the emergence and enforceability of these imaginaries is influenced by the situatedness of their creators, indicating that the sustainability transition of aviation also raises political issues. Essentially, as socio-technical imaginaries act as a driver for change, policymakers should acknowledge the existence of alternative and counter-hegemonic visions, created by actors from civil society settings to take an inclusive and equitable approach to implementing pathways towards climate-neutral aviation.