The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) is working with its members to establish a framework of standards through which the industry can measure the environmental and social sustainability of aircraft operations and the ecosystem that supports flights. The program will result in the implementation of a compliance label that could be applicable to all companies within the business aviation value chain, including not only aircraft operators but also FBOs, maintenance providers, law firms, and finance and insurance companies.
A draft outline of the new Standards & Training for Aviation Responsibility and Sustainability (STARS) has been distributed to some EBAA members participating in the early phase of the pilot program that started in September, with a view to expanding it in 2024. It will consist of three tiers of best practices covering environmental impacts as well as the social responsibility objectives of business aviation companies.
The first phase will be launched with Tier 1, which is intended to lay the foundations for a program to create a set of labels indicating the progress that participants have made. This stage will see participating companies designating a sustainability officer, drafting environmental and social policies, and performing impact assessments for these.
EBAA characterizes Tier 2 as a “Walk the Talk” exercise in which participants start developing and implementing their environmental and social responsibility strategies to achieve specific targets and goals. This stage will involve training for managers and employees.
Tier 3, which the industry group has designated as Super STARS, will see participants demonstrating the improvements achieved in both areas of the program. It will also involve collaboration with companies’ suppliers to ensure that they are held to the same standards.
With the launch of Tier 1 in the second quarter of next year, EBAA will introduce the label accreditation scheme so that companies can publicize their commitment to consistent environmental and social responsibility standards. Under the current timeline, Tier 2 would be launched in 2026, followed by Tier 3 in 2028.
STARS was initiated in 2018 when EBAA selected 10 young business aviation professionals to participate in the One Young World conference in the Hague. One of those participating was Maureen Gautier, who was then working as an aviation lawyer. Since 2022, she has served as EBAA’s manager for sustainability and future workforce.
The discussions at the One Young World event about how to achieve positive change in sustainability proved to be the seed from which STARS is now sprouting. “We see ourselves wanting to stay in this industry for the next 30 years and so we decided to pitch to EBAA to get funding and support for an environmental and social sustainability label,” Gautier explained.
EBAA takes the view that being able to demonstrate an objectively assessed commitment to reducing business aviation’s environmental impact and demonstrating companies’ social responsibility go hand-in-hand with being able to recruit and retain a new generation for the workforce. In the five years since STARS was conceived, this has arguably become even more imperative; the industry has found itself singled out for very direct protests as public pressure for decarbonization has increased.
“We have to make sure the industry is an attractive place to work, and sustainability is closely tied to this,” Gautier told AIN. “STARS is intended to take our members by the hand and tell them that if they want to engage in a journey to sustainability, we can help them with best practices.”
Under Tier 1 of the program, participating companies will measure their current environmental impact in terms of waste, energy, and water consumption, as well as greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, EBAA believes social responsibility standards need to have an equally clear baseline as STARS moves towards accreditation for both aspects of the program. “This can’t just be a carbon dioxide reduction label,” said Gautier. “It’s a holistic sustainability label, covering people, planet, and profitability.”
In this regard, Tier 2 commitments for social responsibility will also require measurable goals for which EBAA can provide guidance. These might include outreach work to students and wider communities, making donations to disadvantaged groups, providing “solidarity flights” (perhaps to patients needing complex medical treatments), and providing accessible offices and a supportive work environment for people of diverse backgrounds.
EBAA wants to be especially supportive of small companies among its membership who might find getting started on the path towards environmental sustainability and social responsibility a big step to take. Ultimately, to make the STARS objectives meaningful, Gautier said participants will need to ensure that “the strategy is applied to people across the [business aviation] value chain, including their clients, suppliers, and stakeholders.”