World’s first net-zero emissions transatlantic flight could be delivered by the UK government and industry as early as next year, ushering in a new era of guilt-free flying in the coming decades.

The pioneering flight, on an aircraft powered by 100% sustainable aviation fuel, is expected to take off in 2023.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced the ambitious challenge to industry during his visit to the US.

Meeting with airline executives, he invited the international sector to work closely with the UK government to deliver the demonstrator flight in 2023, paving the way for flights on the transatlantic route, and many more, to be powered solely by low-carbon fuel.

The announcement today (14 May 2022) underlines the government’s commitment to drive forward the sustainable aviation fuel industry, which has the potential to deliver significant carbon savings, improve domestic fuel security, support thousands of green jobs and put flying on a more sustainable path.

Industry estimates suggest that a UK sustainable aviation fuel industry could support up to 5,200 UK jobs directly, as well as a further 13,600 through global exports – helping to level up the UK and boost the economy. The industry estimates its annual turnover could reach £2.3 billion by 2040.

The new initiative has come out of the Jet Zero Council, a partnership between industry and government that aims to deliver new technologies and innovative ways to cut aviation emissions while supporting the UK economy.

Today’s announcement is an important part of plans to reduce emissions from aviation to net zero. Currently one of the highest single emitters of greenhouse gases, aviation is one of our biggest challenges when it comes to making transport green, but the investment and innovations such as SAF are there to make guilt-free flying a reality.

The fuel, made from waste materials, such as household waste or used cooking oil, offers greenhouse gas emissions savings of more than 70% compared to conventional fossil jet fuel when fully replacing kerosene. When combined with greenhouse gas removals, 100% SAF will enable the delivery of a net zero flight.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

This trailblazing net zero emissions flight, a world first, will demonstrate the vital role that sustainable aviation fuel can play in decarbonising aviation in line with our ambitious net zero targets. 

That’s not just great news for the environment, it’s great news for passengers who will be able to visit the Big Apple without increasing damaging greenhouse gas emissions.

It’s crucial that we place sustainability at the heart of the aviation industry’s recovery from COVID-19 and I look forward to working with them on this challenge, which will lower the impact flying across the Atlantic has on the planet.

Current jet fuel specifications do not allow flights to use 100% SAF, meaning SAF use needs to be complemented by additional decarbonisation measures to be fully net zero. The government is committed to accelerating the testing and approval of 100% SAF to unlock the full decarbonisation potential of this technology.

Delivering the transatlantic flight announced today would help to gather the data needed to support ongoing and future work to test and certify sustainable aviation fuel while exploring how engine efficiency improvements, flight optimisation and greenhouse gas removals can contribute to achieving net-zero flights.

Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, said:

UK airlines strongly support the development of a UK SAF industry, which will play a vital role in helping our sector deliver net zero emissions by 2050, as we are committed to doing.

This announcement will provide additional momentum to achieving this and, alongside the recent £180 million in Treasury support for the development of new UK SAF plants, demonstrates the commitment of government to making SAF a key part of the decarbonisation of aviation.

We now need to turbocharge production in order to build the initial 3 SAF plants by 2025 and UK airlines have shown real commitment to making this happen with our partnerships with Philipps 66, Velocys and LanzaTech.

We look forward to working with ministers through the Jet Zero Council to continue to explore mechanisms to attract the required private investment – in addition to a planned mandate – so we can help deliver the government’s 10% SAF uptake goal by 2030.

Warren East, CEO of Rolls-Royce plc, said:

This is an exciting and ambitious challenge, which Rolls-Royce is ready to support having successfully tested our large commercial aero engines on 100% sustainable aviation fuel over the last year.

We have the technology to help the UK government achieve its objectives and we look forward to working closely with them to deliver this milestone transatlantic flight.

Just over 100 years ago, Rolls-Royce powered the first ever transatlantic flight and now we have the innovation and expertise to power the next generation of sustainable aircraft.

Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech, said:

Waste based feedstocks are important as they offer an economic path to much needed volumes of sustainable aviation fuel.

We applaud the UK government’s leadership in working with industry and setting ambitious goals for the aviation sector. It is only by working together, that we will see the transformative change needed to deliver on the commitments to meet Net Zero.

Indro Mukerjee, CEO of Innovate UK, which is running the competition with the Department for Transport, said:

Innovate UK proudly supports this pioneering initiative. This flight, driven through collaboration and bold ambition, is a perfect example of how innovation can and will shape our future lives.

The speed at which this has become a reality is down to the inspiration, ingenuity and investment of all those involved.

Fuel specifications are not the only barrier preventing a higher uptake of SAF. High fuel production costs, technology risk at commercial scale and feedstocks availability are some of the challenges that government and industry are jointly working to overcome in order to build a thriving domestic SAF sector.

To do so, the government is exploring a SAF mandate and is supporting the UK SAF industry with £180 million of funding over the next 3 years, aiming to accelerate the commercialisation of SAF plants and the establishment of a fuel testing clearing house in the UK, as announced in the Net Zero Strategy.

This support will build on the progress made through previous advanced fuels grant funding programmes, such as the £15 million Green Fuels, Green Skies grant funding competition.

In addition to the £180 million funding, £400 million of funding is being made available through a government partnership with Breakthrough Energy Catalyst to drive private sector investment into the next generation of green technologies, through which UK SAF projects may seek additional capital.

• Restrictions will be delayed in light of unprecedented global economic situation and in order to give industry more time to prepare for the restrictions on advertising
• Rules limiting the location of unhealthy foods in shops will go ahead as planned in October

Rules banning multibuy deals on foods and drinks high in fat, salt, or sugar (HFSS) – including buy one get one free (BOGOF), ‘3 for 2’, and restrictions on free refills for soft drinks – will be delayed for a year.

Restrictions on the placement of less healthy products – a key part of the government’s commitment to reduce obesity – will still come into force in October 2022 as planned. These will mean less healthy products are no longer promoted in key locations, such as checkouts, store entrances, aisle ends and their online equivalents.

Economies across the world have been affected by higher than expected global energy and goods prices, leading to increased costs across supply chains which are affecting both businesses and consumers.

The delay to restrictions on multibuy deals will allow the government to review and monitor the impact of the restrictions on the cost of living in light of an unprecedented global economic situation.

The restrictions banning HFSS adverts on TV before 9pm and paid-for adverts online will also be paused for a year, meaning they come into force January 2024. This is due to a delay to the Health and Care Bill receiving Royal assent, as well as a growing recognition that the industry needs more time to prepare.

A consultation on TV and paid-for-adverts online will be launched in the coming weeks.

Public Health Minister Maggie Throup said:

We’re committed to doing everything we can to help people live healthier lives. Pausing restrictions on deals like buy one get one free will allow us to understand its impact on consumers in light of an unprecedented global economic situation.

Media, Data and Digital Minister Julia Lopez said:

We are determined to tackle childhood obesity and are working hard to improve young people’s health, including by investing £550 million of government and lottery cash to level up access to sport and physical activity right across the country

We have listened to the concerns which have been raised and will not be bringing in restrictions on junk food advertising until confident that the time is right.

Shoppers will now be able to continue taking advantage of multibuy offers on all foods, including healthier foods which were not included in the original restrictions.

Addressing obesity remains a priority for government, and will reduce the strain put on the NHS as it works to tackle the covid backlogs.

Last month saw laws on calorie labelling in large restaurants, cafes and takeaways come into force.

The government will also be launching the Better Health: Rewards scheme in Wolverhampton later this year to test whether financial incentives can support adults to move more and eat better.

The government will publish a Health Disparities White Paper later this year, aiming to break the link between factors such as people’s social or economic circumstances and their prospect for a healthy life. This will mean looking at the biggest preventable killers, including obesity.

The government has taken action to support families worth over £22 billion in 2022-23 to help with rising costs. National Insurance starting thresholds will rise to £12,570 from July 2022, meaning people across the UK will keep more of what they earn before they start paying tax.

Households liable for Council Tax in Bands A-D in England will receive a £150 non-repayable Council Tax Rebate, and Local Authorities are receiving extra discretionary funding to help those who are in need but not eligible.

A new statutory instrument will be introduced to parliament to confirm that the restriction of volume price promotions will be delayed.

Millions of people across the country will benefit from cleaner air and cheaper ways to travel and keep active, thanks to £200 million of government funding for new walking and cycling schemes across England announced today (14 May 2022).

The government’s new executive agency Active Travel England, led by Chris Boardman, will oversee the delivery of 134 first-rate schemes, backed by £161 million, which include new footways, cycle lanes and pedestrian crossings across 46 local authorities outside London.

The projects will create new routes and improve existing ones, making it easier and cheaper for people to choose active and green ways of getting around while better connecting communities. These include new junctions and pedestrian crossings in Liverpool, new segregated cycle lanes across the north-east and a new “travel corridor” in Gloucestershire with reduced traffic and high-quality cycle routes.

In addition to the £161 million for the 134 local authorities schemes, 19 authorities – including in Nottinghamshire, Hull and Manchester – will also receive a share of £1.5 million for “mini-Holland” feasibility studies, to assess how the areas could be as pedestrian and cycle-friendly as their Dutch city equivalents.

The government has also confirmed it will inject £35 million to improve the quality, safety and accessibility of the National Cycle Network, a UK-wide network of paths and routes for walking, cycling or wheeling managed by the independent charity Sustrans. The new funding will see 44 off-road-sections of the network upgraded to ensure they endure for years to come.

Up to £8 million is going towards a new programme to accelerate the uptake of e-cycles by offering short and long-term loans of e-cycles. The pilot scheme, which will be delivered by Cycling UK, launched earlier this week in Greater Manchester and will be massively beneficial in enabling those with longer or hillier journeys to cycle and access employment opportunities in a way that’s not only more affordable but is easier, faster and good for our planet.

The latest £200 million is part of the unprecedented £2 billion for cycling and walking announced by the Prime Minister in 2020. Earlier tranches of the money have already delivered hundreds of schemes and cycling rose by almost 50% in 2020 to 2021. Active Travel England has been established to hold the budget and ensure that schemes are delivered to the new, higher standards set out in 2020.

Transport Minister Trudy Harrison said:

This multimillion-pound investment will ensure people right across the country can access cheap, healthy and zero-emission travel.

Active Travel England will be working hard to create a new golden age of walking and cycling, enabling everyone to reap the benefits of a more active lifestyle, creating streets where children can play and making nicer places to live.

Active Travel Commissioner Chris Boardman said:

This is all about enabling people to leave their cars at home and enjoy local journeys on foot or by bike. Active Travel England is going to make sure high-quality spaces for cycling, wheeling and walking are delivered across all parts of England, creating better streets, a happier school run and healthier, more pleasant journeys to work and the shops.

£2 million will also go towards Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival – free events to help people start or return to cycling by fixing bikes, teaching skills and leading rides. People across the country will be able to turn up at events with their bikes and receive a basic service or learn to repair their own bikes at a workshop. They will also be able to learn to ride a bike from beginner level or join a ride to increase their confidence.

People travelling to and around Hope Valley in the heart of the Peak District National Park will be able to do so by public transport, cycling or walking rather than by car thanks to £120,000 of funding also confirmed today. Hope Valley Climate Action’s Travelling Light project will benefit the whole country by leading the way in decarbonising rural travel and giving local residents and visitors more options to benefit their health, as well as conserving the beauty of the national park.

The government is also continuing to ensure cycling is available to all by funding Wheels for Wellbeing. An additional £75,000 will go towards supporting DfT’s Active Travel team to implement Gear change, so its benefits reach disabled people. Wheels for Wellbeing will also coordinate an expert panel on inclusive cycling and develop a photobank of inclusive cycling imagery.

Xavier Brice, Chief Executive Officer of Sustrans, the charity that makes it easier for people to walk, wheel and cycle, said:

As custodians of the National Cycle Network, we’re delighted that the government is continuing to invest in these vital and much-loved walking, wheeling and cycling routes.

This funding will see improvements made to the network in England, connecting cities, towns and the countryside, making walking, wheeling and cycling a safer, more convenient and more accessible travel option for everyone.

The network is a national asset that is loved locally and continued investment will advance our work with partners and stakeholders across the UK. Together, we’re reimagining the ways in which we move around, empowering people to connect with others and helping everyone explore our shared environments.

This all follows the launch of new government cycling and walking body, Active Travel England, earlier this year.

Active Travel England is already delivering on its ambitions to drive up the standards of cycling and walking infrastructure across the country and make walking and cycling the easiest choice for local journeys.

• More than 70,000 ‘Big Lunches’ and events planned across the country
• Activities for children released including Colour a Corgi

Big screens will be set up outdoors in London, Edinburgh and Cardiff so thousands of people can come together to celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June.

Screens broadcasting the events will be placed in The Mall in London, Edinburgh’s Princes Street Gardens and in Cardiff’s Bute Park.

From street parties and ‘Big Jubilee Lunches’ happening across the UK, to London’s Trooping the Colour, Service of Thanksgiving, concert and pageant, the nation and commonwealth will come together over four days to mark The Queen’s 70-year reign.

The screens are organised by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) which today is launching an activity pack for children to help them learn about The Queen’s reign, including articles about how the country has changed in the last seven decades, opportunities to colour in a corgi or crown and bunting to decorate for street parties.

More than 70,000 Big Jubilee Lunches are planned in the four UK nations over the weekend, with an expected ten million people set to sit down with their neighbours on Sunday 5 June, to celebrate Her Majesty’s momentous jubilee.

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said:

In less than a month we will come together as a nation and Commonwealth to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s 70-year reign. No other British monarch has reached this milestone and we will celebrate it with tradition, pomp and circumstance.

I hope that people and communities across the country will come together to pay tribute to Her Majesty – whether that be to watch on big screens or toasting Her Majesty at a Big Jubilee Lunch with their neighbours or coming together in their local village hall.

In London, screens broadcasting the BBC’s live feed will be placed down The Mall and in St James’s Park for members of the public to watch the events taking place across the Bank Holiday weekend.

In Edinburgh, screens will be placed in Princes Street Gardens with thousands able to host picnics and watch the celebrations with a backdrop of Edinburgh Castle and entertainment provided by the Royal Marines and local performers.

The Welsh Capital is also inviting families to bring their Jubilee Picnic and enjoy an afternoon in Bute Park. The beautiful Grade I listed park in the heart of Cardiff’s city centre will provide the perfect venue for an afternoon of Jubilee celebrations as families are invited to enjoy the Jubilee Pageant on a large screen along with entertainment from the bandstand.

In Northern Ireland, a design competition will see primary school children create a ‘snapshot of Northern Ireland’, with the winning entry to be manufactured into a rug by leading company Ulster Carpets and sent to Her Majesty the Queen. In addition, The Queen and other members of the Royal Family will receive Northern Ireland Platinum Jubilee Hampers showcasing over 50 top quality local food and drink producers, and representing the appreciation of the people of Northern Ireland for Her Majesty’s dedicated service.

Events taking place in London will be broadcast on TV networks BBC, Sky and ITV. In a further move to mark the occasion, the BBC is offering local communities a special one-off TV Licence dispensation so they can screen it on a big screen they organise themselves.

The plans will allow those celebrating with events arranged in town halls, community centres and streets to show live programmes throughout the weekend without needing to purchase a licence.

UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said:

Watching the celebrations on the big screens the UK Government is setting up around the country is a great way for people to really get involved and soak up the atmosphere of this fabulous occasion.

We’re looking forward to a great family-focused event in Princes Street Gardens in Edinburgh where people can bring a picnic, enjoy the weekend’s festivities and raise a glass to Her Majesty to mark her 70-year reign.

Welsh Secretary Simon Hart said:

The Jubilee is going to be a fantastic occasion and I know people up and down Wales will be celebrating with family or community events.

Whether you are watching events on the big screen at Bute Park, at a picnic in Colwyn Bay or at the carnival in Welshpool I hope as many people as possible take the opportunity to get involved in this incredible milestone in UK history.

NIO Minister of State Conor Burns said:

It’s fantastic to see the array of events planned to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee across the UK.

Through the NIO’s Platinum Jubilee Hamper and the rug competition, we are proud to highlight Northern Ireland food, drink and manufacturing expertise while creating these special gifts which I hope Her Majesty The Queen and the Royal Family will enjoy.

BBC Director-General Tim Davie says:

I am delighted we are helping to bring people together to celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and I’m looking forward to seeing our coverage on big screens up and down the UK, as we mark this wonderful occasion.

Further info

The Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday weekend begins on Thursday 2 June with Trooping the Colour, which sees more than 1,500 soldiers and musicians, around 240 horses and the Irish Guards mascot, Turlough Mor the Irish Wolfhound, coming together for the traditional Queen’s birthday parade.

Around 7,000 members of the public will watch the ceremony as they return to Horse Guards Parade for the first time since the pandemic. Beacons will be lit throughout the UK and the Commonwealth in the evening.

On Friday 3 June, a Service of Thanksgiving for The Queen’s 70-year reign will be held at St Paul’s Cathedral. The service will include Bible readings, anthems, prayers and congregational hymns to express thanks for Her Majesty’s reign, faith and service.

Great Paul, the largest church bell in the country, will be rung. The bell, which was made in 1882, fell silent due to a broken mechanism in the 1970s. Following its restoration in 2021, this will be the first royal occasion in which Great Paul has been rung. The ringing of Great Paul will be followed by a peal of bells to celebrate.

On Saturday 4 June, a number of stars will take part in the Platinum Party at the Palace. Hosted by Kirsty Young and Roman Kemp, the celebration will see famous faces from the world of entertainment brought together to perform for a night of musical tributes to celebrate the Jubilee. 22,000 people will attend the event including 10,000 allocated in a public ballot and 5,000 tickets for key workers.

The celebrations will conclude on Sunday 5 June with the Platinum Jubilee Pageant. Thousands of performers from across the country and Commonwealth will process down The Mall to tell the story of The Queen’s 70-year reign in a spectacular procession. Artists and the communities they work with will interpret different chapters of Her life.

The pageant will feature a giant dragon puppet the size of a double decker bus, corgis, acrobats, unicorns, dancers and circus acts. The grand finale will feature 150 ‘national treasures’ including Ed Sheeran who, along with members of the viewing public invited to become part of the performance, will gather and pay tribute to The Queen.

Across the country, millions will sit down to a Big Jubilee Lunch on Sunday afternoon with more than 200,000 local events – including screenings, street parties and lunches – planned. Big lunches take place in communities across the UK every year as people come together in celebration to share lunch. Each year they raise more than £8 million for local charities.

More than 8.5 million took part in the Big Jubilee Lunch for the Diamond Jubilee in 2012.

From back garden barbecues to full-blown street parties, there are events planned in neighbourhoods and communities right across the UK and it’s not too late to knock on a neighbour’s door and join the nation in celebration. Big Jubilee Lunch themes being planned include red, white and blue and dancing through the decades with a world record attempt for the longest street party and the biggest Big Jubilee Lunch.

Across the Commonwealth and the rest of the world, more than 600 Big Jubilee Lunches are planned in more than 70 countries – from Greenland to New Zealand.

Notes to editors:

You can find bunting, colour a corgi and colour a crown as well as recipes on the DCMS Platinum Jubilee website, including more than 3,000 local events: www.platinumjubilee.gov.uk

Big screens will be placed in The Mall and St James’s Park in London and in Cardiff and Edinburgh for Trooping, the Platinum Party at the Palace and for Pageant.

The big screen locations in London are not ticketed but capacity is limited.

There will be other locations to watch the events locally. Around 60 local sites can be found on DCMS’s Events Map

In London the screens will be provided as below:

Saturday 4th June – Platinum Party at the Palace

• St James’s Park
• The Mall

Sunday 5th June – The Platinum Jubilee Pageant

• St James’s Park
• The Mall
• Whitehall

There are no screens provided for St Paul’s.

The public are encouraged to check the TFL website before making plans to travel to London as routes are expected to be very busy. ​​

The Government will temporarily disengage with the National Union of Students (NUS) following recent antisemitism allegations.

The NUS will be removed from all Department for Education groups and replaced with alternative student representation, such as from the Office for Student’s student panel or from individual student unions, to ensure all students’ views are reflected fairly in conversations about higher education. The Department for Education is asking arm’s length bodies, including the Office for Students, to take similar action.

The Department for Education has also confirmed that the NUS will not receive any government funding. The Minister for Higher and Further Education, Michelle Donelan, has also written to Civica, the electoral body that had oversight of the NUS election for the NUS President asking for more information on how the electoral process was carried out.

The allegations of antisemitism, which have been well-documented and span several years, have prompted a feeling of insecurity amongst Jewish students across the country and a worry systemic antisemitism within the organisation is not being properly addressed.

Although the NUS has shown a willingness to respond to concerns expressed by ministers, including beginning to kickstart a process of independent investigations, this will need to lead to substantive action. This decision to disengage from the NUS will be kept under review as the organisation demonstrates it has suitably addressed these issues.

Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said:

I am seriously concerned to hear of so many reports of alleged antisemitism linked to the NUS.

Jewish students need to have confidence that this is a body that represents them, and we need to be sure that the student bodies that we engage with are speaking fairly for all students, which is why we are disengaging with the NUS until the issues have been addressed.

From the NUS’s initial response to our concerns, I am confident that they are keen to take action and welcome further updates from them. Antisemitism has no place in our society and we will stamp it out, wherever it occurs.

Higher and Further Education Minister Michelle Donelan said:

I am horrified by the thought of Jewish students feeling ostracised by an organisation which should be a voice for their community and an advocate of equality for all students.

Although this was a decision that the Department did not take lightly, we have been clear that antisemitism must be stamped out of the sector and are treating these allegations with the utmost seriousness.

Whilst our door is not closed to the NUS, our message could not be simpler. We need decisive and effective action in response to these repeated allegations of antisemitic behaviour. We are glad that the NUS has started to respond and are ready to work with them again when sufficient action has been taken.

This action follows a series of interventions from the department to tackle antisemitism on campus. Earlier this year, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi and Minister Donelan hosted an antisemitism summit which brought together vice chancellors, university representatives and Jewish rights groups to discuss measures and commitments that can be taken to ensure Jewish students and staff feel safe in higher education.

This builds on the drive to encourage more higher education providers to sign up to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of antisemitism and, in 2021, more than triple the number of universities have done this – up to 95 from 28 in 2020.

International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)

The IHRA is a leading international organisation focused on eradicating antisemitism in public life and educating about the holocaust.

Their definition of antisemitism is as follows:

Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.