A comparative entropy analysis in aviation and supply chains for decarbonization

Purpose In an era of increasing globalization, given their significant energy consumption, concerns regarding energy efficiency and management have come to the fore for the aviation and supply chains (SCs) sectors. The purpose of this study is to present an approach to assessing environmental sustainability based on decarbonization for all chains, particularly the aviation, maritime, and shipping sectors. An entropy-based approach that can be used effectively in defining the decarbonization responsibility of aviation and SCs, especially in line with the global 2050 targets defined in international strategies, is targeted. Design/methodology/approach This study primarily focuses on aviation and transportation, evaluating their energy and environmental impacts, providing a new perspective to support carbon removal strategies. An entropy-based analytical approach is applied to evaluate energy performance, while a newly developed decarbonisation index (DCI) is used to comparatively examine the environmental impacts of aviation and other vehicles. Findings In aviation, the exergy efficiency of conventional fuels is 25.55% on average, compared to 67.2% for electric alternatives. Fossil fuel-powered vehicles and ships have an average exergy efficiency of 31.01%, while electric alternatives are significantly more efficient at 62.12%. The exergy destruction potential is 74.45% for fossil fuel-powered units and 37.88% for electric ones. The average fossil fuel-based transportation Environmental Performance Index is 0.69, approximately two times higher than for electric alternatives. In high-power aviation, the DCI has the lowest value at 0.21 after road vehicles. This shows that improvements are needed for all vehicles including the high-power electric alternative. Originality/value The highlight of this study is that it provides a new criterion in decision-making processes with the DCI defined to improve the decarbonisation perspective. In the comparison, it is seen that especially in aviation, the choice of electric engines has the lowest impact on decarbonisation for high powers.