Quitting dream job over climate fears a 'no-brainer' for former pilot

Geoff Collis, a former Jetstar pilot with a 40-year career, decided to quit his dream job due to climate fears. He first fell in love with planes at the age of 10 and pursued a career in aviation, logging 25,000 hours in his logbook. However, as he witnessed the adverse effects of climate change, Collis began to question his role in the industry.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he found solace in baking and, after a year-long apprenticeship at a Melbourne bakery, returned to flying. Yet, the weight of climate change became too heavy to bear. Collis realized that many of the industry's efforts to combat climate change were merely tokenism and greenwashing. He felt he couldn't contribute to the problem in good conscience.

Despite the aviation industry's relatively small contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, Collis decided it was a "no-brainer" to leave his job and return to baking, all for the sake of the planet. The aviation sector is one of the hardest to decarbonize, and global emissions are expected to increase through 2070. Qantas Group, Collis' employer, acknowledged it was operating on a growth model and focused on reducing the impact of its operations.

Despite this, reducing aviation emissions remains a challenging task. Dr. Ya-Yen Sun from the University of Queensland's business school suggested that a carbon tax or emissions trading scheme could be potential solutions in Australia.