Here are the climate-related sections of speeches by MPs during the Commons debate Hydrogen-powered Aviation.
09:35 Sadik Al-Hassan (Labour)
As the Member of Parliament for North Somerset, my constituency is certainly no stranger to the aerospace industry. Since the pandemic, Bristol airport has emerged as one of the UK’s fastest-growing airports, now serving 10 million passengers a year, with plans to increase that to 15 million passengers a year by 2040. Although many of my constituents have expressed support for the potential for the 10,000 or so additional jobs such an expansion may bring to my local area, many more have expressed concern over how it can be squared against the airport’s aim to achieve net zero by 2030.
The Government have already clearly displayed their vision and leadership in this space, and set forth a sensible plan to bring about the maturity of this sector. That is why I wish to focus our debate today not on the technology of tomorrow, but on that of the day after. Hydrogen-powered aviation presents one of the few truly scalable zero-emission pathways for the future of aviation, allowing us to meet our net zero targets while simultaneously keeping flying affordable and accessible.
Although in recent years we have had great success in decarbonising our power generation, cars, heating and many other sectors, the stark reality is that aviation is one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonise. Currently aviation is primarily fuelled by kerosene, and although great strides have been made in sustainable aviation fuel in recent years, there are currently no cost-competitive alternatives available. As the world continues on the inextricable path towards even greater levels of globalism and integration, the aviation industry’s ability to move people and goods swiftly across continents will only continue to grow in importance.
During my visit to the science park it was made clear to me that although they are excited about the role that hydrogen has to play in the future of the aviation industry, the ever-shifting net zero policy landscape—especially the perceived lack of clarity from the Government on hydrogen’s future role—has handicapped the sector’s ability to draw in private investment. The Government must make it clear to the private sector that they do have faith in hydrogen’s ability to transform the aviation sector, and that early investment into the nascent industry will be rewarded in future.
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09:38 Jim Shannon (DUP)
Hydrogen is an alternative that is becoming more widely explored. There is no doubt it could and must play a part in the UK’s contribution to net zero targets. The ultimate secret to reaching net zero targets is how to do so without adversely impacting our constituents. I am not a sceptic—I never have been. Some people might be sceptics, but I am not one of them. I recognise the importance of meeting the targets, and hydrogen is one way to do that. Alternative forms of energy are being used in many transport paths, so it is important that we are here today to discuss the progression of our aviation industry.
I want to mention some of the things that are happening in Northern Ireland. Undoubtedly, a progression to hydrogen rather than fossil fuels has its benefits in terms of the transport industry. There are zero carbon dioxide emissions. Hydrogen is attractive for long-haul flights and has faster refuelling mechanisms. Of course, cost implications are very important as we move forward. Any new technology is always costly at the start, but as it gets easier to do, the cost implications reduce. At this moment in time the implications are incredibly large. Airports across the UK will require massive infrastructure upgrades. Most planes will require to be redesigned with larger storage capacity and the freezing temperature of hydrogen must be considered, so there are cost implications there. But for every airport across this great United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, we can do it better together.
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09:50 Steve Yemm (Labour)
My constituency of Mansfield is just a stone’s throw away from East Midlands airport, which is one of the UK’s key freight and passenger hubs. It is important not only to our local economy, but to many of my constituents, who use the airport to get away on family holidays. With climate change being a significant concern to many of my constituents, and with the instability of hydrocarbon-based aviation fuel pricing as a result of numerous factors, including global conflict, I very much welcome the consideration of hydrogen-powered aviation as a practical and vital path towards sustainable flight.
Hydrogen has real, tangible benefits over other approaches such as sustainable aviation fuel and battery power. We are already seeing British companies—including companies local to me in the east midlands, such as Rolls-Royce, and ZeroAvia in the south-west, which is working with East Midlands airport—investing in hydrogen engines. I believe that the Government have a responsibility to at least consider supporting that transition, not only to meet our climate targets but to protect and grow jobs in aviation, engineering and logistics in the east midlands.
Let us not forget that our constituents all want cleaner skies and to reach net zero, but they also want the opportunity to travel. Hydrogen-powered aviation can potentially deliver both, but to develop the technology to do that, we need the right investment in infrastructure, and particularly in research and development. We can turn regional airports into hubs of innovation that are important for the regions, and create a new export market in green aviation technology—that is not pie in the sky thinking. It will take some work to achieve it, but it is practical and necessary.
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09:50 Claire Young (Liberal Democrat)
Hydrogen-powered flights have real potential to cut carbon emissions in a notoriously difficult to decarbonise industry, while still allowing people to enjoy flying around the world, as the aircraft would emit only water vapour. The industry needs support now, however, which means thinking about the technology, infrastructure and regulation.
Obviously, it is no good having hydrogen-fuelled aeroplanes if we do not have the hydrogen, so we need large-scale investment in green hydrogen. It is all very well having zero emissions on our flights, but if the electricity is being generated from non-low carbon power in the first place, there will still be associated emissions. As the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee has heard a number of times in its inquiries, it is really important that the Government make a decision about the future use of hydrogen. Given that we will only ever be able to produce a finite amount of green hydrogen, I think we need to prioritise it for industries where there are no realistic alternatives, including aviation.
We need to be thinking about how we produce that energy, and again our area has something to offer the country, because we have the potential for new nuclear at Oldbury and we have the River Severn, where there was a recent commission on tidal power. We therefore have the means of producing green energy. We have expertise in all those areas, with excellent nuclear specialism in our local universities, the aviation expertise to develop its use in aviation, and the facilities that I described in the Bristol and Bath science park to help to tackle some of the problems associated with deploying the technology.
Our 2024 manifesto set out taxation reform that would help to redirect people away from frequent high carbon flights. It is important that we give people a means of judging the carbon emissions from their flights. Many companies will be looking at their own net zero aims, and it is important that people understand the implications of their choices when flying.
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10:06 Luke Taylor (Liberal Democrat)
Nothing is inevitable about the pollution in our skies. Aviation does not have to be the easy poster child for conspicuous consumption of resources and casual carbon emissions. It does not have to be part of the problems we face with a warming planet, melting ice caps and increasingly extreme weather. With the right choices, it can be part of the solution. Britain is already feeling the mounting toll of climate change: flash floods, record heatwaves and freak storms. That is not abstract; it is already costing lives and livelihoods across the country. Aviation contributes to that problem and we cannot pretend that it does not.
In 2022 alone, UK domestic and international flights produced nearly 30 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to 7% of the nation’s entire greenhouse gas emissions. If nothing changes, the Climate Change Committee projects that aviation will account for 16% of UK emissions by 2035. We cannot meet our net zero goals without tackling this issue. This debate is particularly well timed following the introduction of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Bill last week, which addresses the climate emissions of existing technology fuels.
There is good news beyond that, however, and aviation can be part of the solution to our fight against climate change. Thanks to scientific progress and industry innovation, we now have the technology to fly without fossil fuels. Green hydrogen, produced using renewable energy, is a clean fuel that emits no carbon when used. It is one of the most promising solutions for decarbonising aviation, whether by powering aircraft directly or by creating sustainable aviation fuels. That is not a pipe dream; it is already happening.
Hydrogen aircraft are being trialled, green fuel production is scaling up and aircraft around the world are beginning to prepare for a hydrogen-powered future. However, the UK risks being left behind unless we match ambition with investment. The ATI estimates that aerospace’s economic contribution to the UK economy could increase from £8.4 billion today to over £37 billion by 2050, driven by new low and zero emission technologies such as hydrogen-powered aircraft.
The ATI strategic programme has supported several key projects in the shift to develop hydrogen-electric propulsion systems, including ZeroAvia’s HyFlyer and advanced fuel cells for aviation decarbonisation projects, GKN’s H2GEAR and H2FlyGHT—lots of confusing acronyms and project names—and Project Fresson, led by Cranfield Aerospace Solutions. Some of those projects, including those by ZeroAvia, have resulted in or will soon result in certification applications with the Civil Aviation Authority that will complete in the coming years—the earliest of them by 2026.
ZeroAvia, which is based in the constituency of my hon. Friend the Member for South Cotswolds (Dr Savage), is backed by many huge investors, including Airbus, British Airways, and the Amazon Climate Pledge Fund. It is already attracting orders from airlines such as Alaska Airlines and United Airlines. Critically, it has also had investment from the UK Infrastructure Bank and the Scottish National Investment Bank, which shows the immediate viability and attractiveness of investing in this technology.
The next stage of that work is to modify a Pearl 15 business jet engine, which is a twin shaft turbofan that currently powers the Bombardier Global Express, showing that this approach is potentially applicable to turbofans as well as turboprops. The direct combustion of hydrogen in a modified existing-technology engine shows an alternative route to harnessing hydrogen to decarbonise the aviation industry. These projects show the huge potential of this fuel to take aviation into the modern era of low and zero-emission operations.
Of all transport sectors, on a first-principle basis, aviation is the one to which hydrogen is most applicable. In fact hydrogen will be essential if aviation is to make its net zero targets. Aviation is the most energy-intensive mode of transport and the most sensitive to mass, as the Breguet range equations that I explained to all hon. Members last week show. That is why aviation will be the most suitable use of hydrogen fuel in the future. Aviation has the least competition from other zero-emission pathways, due to their various shortcomings. The sector’s energy demand is plannable and high, creating significant offtake that can bring H 2 down the cost curve. Additionally, the professionalised and regulated environment of aviation is very well suited to handling the new fuel, and establishing standards and safety. Hydrogen’s success in aviation will be a major proof point against many existing investor concerns for other sectors.
I urge the Minister first to provide longer-term clarity to industry on the availability of hydrogen. The Government must signal their intentions on renewable energy and hydrogen production targets beyond 2040, and, to bring forward the business models for hydrogen transport, storage and power, they should also extend Aerospace Technology Institute funding to a 10-year horizon.
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10:07 Greg Smith (Conservative)
Let me be clear: hydrogen is not a hypothetical solution. It is a practical, viable and strategically critical path forward for decarbonising flight. The UK has a golden opportunity to lead the world in this technology, not just by developing aircraft but by creating the entire hydrogen aviation value chain, from production and distribution to propulsion and maintenance. When combusted purely, hydrogen emits only water vapour, unlike kerosene, obviously, which produces carbon dioxide. Moreover, unlike battery electric aircraft, hydrogen aviation scales better over distance and payload, making it suitable for not just short-term hops but future regional and potentially transcontinental routes. That is not only good for the planet, but good for Britain.
A successful future-focused aviation sector means more than environmental progress; it means greater reliability and connectivity for passengers, and competitive ticket prices driven by fuel efficiency. For business, it means faster, lower emission logistics, better access to export markets and the growth of regional airports as hubs for commerce and investment. There is an important distinction to be made here, and one that we in this place must be honest about. While hydrogen fuel cells offer lower energy losses and may suit smaller aircraft or drones, it is pure hydrogen combustion that offers the best chance of achieving decarbonisation for medium to large aircraft, especially within the constraints of airframe weight and power density. Combustion also enables more rapid retrofit of existing aircraft designs and is more compatible with current maintenance ecosystems and airport infrastructure. Simply put, hydrogen combustion is the most practical, scalable route for commercial aviation and the UK should be focusing investment accordingly.
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10:09 Mike Kane (Labour)
I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for North Somerset (Sadik Al-Hassan) on securing an excellent first debate in Westminster Hall and thank other hon. Members for their contributions. Famously, my hon. Friend is a pharmacist by training and by trade; he actually lives in a village called Pill, which is probably the strongest case of nominative determinism I have come across in my political career. He is also a doughty champion for Bristol airport. He never fails to tackle me about the issue in the Lobby or the Chamber. The airport plays a crucial role in providing connectivity and enabling growth in the south-west, and I welcome the leading role that it has played in developing hydrogen, such as the recent Project Acorn trials, which demonstrated the safe use of zero emission ground handling equipment in an airside environment.
“we will not accept false trade-offs that pit aviation’s growth against our commitments to net zero.” —[ Official Report , 11 June 2025; Vol. 768, c. 1031.]
Let us get to the subject in hand. I recognise the clear potential of hydrogen as a zero emission aviation fuel and what it could contribute towards greener aviation. As the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) said in his customarily excellent speech, it produces zero CO 2 . He is right that it is costly, but we know that the costs will become competitive as we scale up. He speaks well of Spirit in his constituency and the workers who work there in this field. I pay tribute to him and them for what they do in Northern Ireland.
We will continue to co-invest with industry on a range of R&D projects, which a number of Members raised, including the development of hydrogen aircraft technology through the Aerospace Technology Institute programme that the hon. Member for Sutton and Cheam (Luke Taylor) mentioned. As announced in the spending review, we will invest more than £3 billion in the next four years in the advanced manufacturing sector on zero emission vehicles, batteries and aerospace technologies. I join him in congratulating Cranfield Aerospace Solutions, which I visited while in opposition, on its work.
Later this year, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero will publish a refreshed hydrogen strategy to ensure that hydrogen achieves its unique role in the Government’s clean energy superpower and growth missions. Just last week, the Government announced over £500 million to develop the UK’s first regional hydrogen transport and storage network, boosting industrial regions such as Merseyside, Teesside and the Humber.
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10:26 Sadik Al-Hassan (Labour)
I, too, thank all the hon. Members who have contributed to the debate. It was fantastic to hear from the hon. Member for Strangford (Jim Shannon) about the importance of mitigating any impact of this change on constituents and of challenging scepticism about hydrogen’s role. He is definitely on the bus when it comes to hydrogen. My hon. Friend the Member for Mansfield (Steve Yemm) is a champion of his local airport and of green hydrogen, which offers us strategic energy independence and jobs while also helping us to meet climate targets. The hon. Member for Thornbury and Yate (Claire Young) talked about the innovation history in the west of England, a region that she said is up for the challenges of hydrogen while prioritising change in aviation.
Front Benchers made a number of important points, too, including about the risk of doing nothing for our ability to meet our climate targets; the skills needed to reflect the changes to regulation to go alongside the Government’s announced funding; the need for a long-term plan to drive investment; the fact that hydrogen is good for the planet and good for Britain; the role of the Government in providing leadership in this hydrogen age, not only in the UK but internationally; and the effect of a refocused Jet Zero Council on progress on catching up in order to meet our plans for a greener aviation sector. I also welcome the UK-US trade deal and its potential benefits for the nascent hydrogen economy. I thank all the relevant Members for bringing those points to the fore; I am certain that the Minister has heard them and will take them away.
I get the sense that we are unified behind hydrogen-powered aviation. We all agree on the need to reach our legally binding net zero targets, and that we must do so in a way that maintains the affordability and accessibility of the modern aviation industry. I believe that hydrogen-powered aviation is the answer. Down the line, we might disagree on some minor tactical points, but so long as we agree on the overarching aim and strategy, I believe that we can get there.
Realising the potential of hydrogen-powered aviation is incredibly important, not just for the long-term regional economic prospects of constituencies such as mine, in which Bristol airport plays such a key role in our local economy, but for our nation as a whole. As we have heard, the aviation industry supports over 1.6 million jobs across our country and contributes over £120 billion to our economy every year. While we are here to recognise its contributions to our emissions, I think we agree on its importance to our future economic growth and, therefore, on the need to support its decarbonisation while not imperilling its expected strong growth.
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