Where to Start?
Developing a sustainability strategy within aviation can be particularly difficult. The heightened scrutiny that the industry faces drives the need for an impactful and defensible sustainability approach even more critically. But where do you start when creating a defensible strategy that delivers meaningful reductions in the emissions from operations?
You can’t manage what you don’t measure. Understanding what comprises your environmental footprint is the critical first step. For most flight departments, charter operators, and fractional operators, the biggest piece of their environmental impact will be the emissions produced when operating the aircraft, known as their Scope 1 emissions. Calculating that footprint is as simple as plugging the total fuel burned for a flight or given period into an aviation fuel carbon calculator. This will generate a carbon footprint measured in Metric Tons of CO2 (mtCO2), the common unit of measurement for emissions reporting.
Other components of an environmental footprint include the electricity consumed to light and cool/heat buildings owned by the company, such as hangars. These emissions, also referred to as Scope 2 emissions, are indirect emissions that result from the generation of electricity. The National Air Transport Association, NATA, has a brief video on measuring the carbon footprint of a facility, along with an easy-to-use calculator for identifying the footprint.
The primary goal is to first reduce emissions however you can. For example, emissions can be reduced within a facility by switching to LED lighting or installing motion-activated lighting. Using renewable energy directly from your utility provider or through Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) can make sure lower (or zero) carbon energy is used for the remaining energy usage. Addressing emissions in flight are more difficult, but there are a growing number of opportunities.
Continuous Improvements
Once a footprint is measured, you can use certain KPIs to assess how efficient you are and build programs to improve energy efficiency on the ground and in the air. Having a way to measure this will enable you to track and demonstrate the benefits of fleet upgrade, SOP changes, and the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
SAF
In the context of aircraft operations, SAF is currently the most effective tool for emission reductions. SAF is a fuel created from sources that recycle carbon already present in the atmosphere (or more technically, the biosphere) without digging up and emitting CO2 sequestered in oil underground. SAF is the only drop-in option that allows existing aircraft to reduce their emissions without any changes to the aircraft or fueling infrastructure. 4AIR has published a SAF calculator that helps show the impact that various blends and feedstocks can have on reducing aviation emissions.
Addressing Non-CO2 Emissions
CO2 represents just one-third of the climate warming impact from aviation. In addition to the CO2, aircraft emit nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulfates, water vapor, aerosols, and soot. Due to its emission at high altitudes, NOx contributes to ozone increases and methane reduction, while aerosols and soot create the foundation for water vapor to freeze and form contrails. More to come on contrails, but while they have both a cooling and warming effect, overall they result in a high net warming effect, about 1 – 5x times that of CO2 alone, depending on how you mathematically compare it. Measuring these non-CO2 emissions will help in better climate reporting, and getting ahead of coming regulation that will address these emissions. Additionally, research is ongoing on how SAF could possibly be engineered to minimize or eliminate some of these non-CO2 emission components.
Single-Use Plastics
Switching from single-use plastics to reusable or recyclable containers offers significant benefits. Offering bottle-filling stations and reusable or recyclable containers throughout facilities in lieu of single-use water bottles presents a path for reducing waste overall. By making the transition, not only is the amount of plastic waste that enters landfills, waterways, and oceans reduced, but emissions associated with the production and disposal of single-use plastics are also decreased. If possible, make the switch onboard the aircraft too. Reducing waste here also minimizes the chance that the destination doesn’t have a recycling program, leaving recyclable materials destined for a landfill. If eliminating single-use water bottles onboard the aircraft isn’t feasible, opt for plastic-free or recycled versions.
Alternative Powered GSE
Emissions can be reduced on the ground by transitioning to electric ground service equipment (GSE). Electric ground equipment, such as tugs, ground power units, and crew cars, not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also minimizes noise pollution on the tarmac. Moreover, they offer the advantage of lower operating costs and reduced maintenance. Most global decarbonization efforts include the call to “electrify everything,” including GSE. Electric equipment has inherent energy efficiencies over diesel or gasoline-powered equipment and allows an entity to reduce its emissions, even without using renewable energy. Using renewable energy to charge GSE or using RECs only enhances the emission reductions from this conversion.
Contrails
Research is intensifying on the impact that contrails have on warming the climate. Big names like Google, American Airlines, Cambridge University’s Aviation Impact Accelerator, MIT, Boeing, and Breakthrough Energy are testing tools and models that help forecast and avoid areas where contrails are likely to form. In parallel, regulators are evaluating the impact that these aircraft-induced clouds cause and how they should be factored into emissions trading schemes or other legislation. Thanks to the funding provided by the Aviation Climate Fund and others, academic research and support are continuing to uncover the best ways to mitigate the impacts of contrails.
Alternative Fuel Propulsion
Investing in electric and hydrogen aircraft presents a promise for the future, but their emerging technologies and limited ranges restrict technology to shorter-range missions. At the best case, maybe one-third to two-thirds of the industry’s CO2 emissions could be addressed through alternative propulsion methods, even when looking at a 2050 time-horizon. Identifying missions suitable for alternative propulsion systems and working with future suppliers is key to demonstrating the interest in these types of alternative aircraft, but options are limited today. Supporting research and voicing the importance of these technologies to suppliers will also help contribute to the development of new technology.
Carbon Offsets
The last option for action today to address the residual emissions after all possible reductions have been made, is to use carbon offsets. A carbon “offset”, or “credit”, is the verified avoidance or capture of one metric ton of CO2 from the atmosphere. These reductions usually occur in other industries outside of aviation, where the cost to reduce one metric ton of CO2 is cheaper than trying to reduce one metric ton within aviation. Under a verifying body, the emission reduction is certified under several criteria, and each metric ton is assigned a unique credit ID number. Once claimed, the credit is retired in a public registry, ensuring that each reduction can only be claimed once. Purchasing a volume of carbon credits equivalent to your footprint “offsets” your CO2 emissions.
While there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution to sustainability within an operation, the best strategies incorporate as many options as possible. The most important takeaway is to continuously evaluate your footprint and look for opportunities to minimize impacts.