March 8, 2022
While business aviation has long been committed to environmental responsibility, pioneering many emissions-reducing technologies such as winglets and advanced composites, the industry recently pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
To emphasize this focus on sustainability, the No Plane No Gain campaign, which highlights the many ways business aviation is an essential American industry, recently added “sustainability” as its fifth pillar. This puts it on equal footing with the advocacy campaign’s other pillars of productivity, job creation, humanitarian support and community connections.
Included on the site are factoids and graphics – all of which can be shared – highlighting the industry’s sustainability goals, including those related specifically to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Production of SAF is expected to reach 1 billion gallons annually by 2025.
Also, No Plane No Gain also has published a fully updated Business Aviation Fact Book – which includes a chapter on sustainability – and a digital presentation for anyone in the industry to explain business aviation and its many vital missions to a general audience. Both resources use facts, stories and infographics to show the variety of people working in business aviation – and the ways companies and communities rely on the industry every day.
Industry Support for Sustainability
While industry groups are making these resources available, flight operators, aircraft owners, FBOs, fuelers, manufacturers and service providers are making the real strides in reducing business aircraft emissions. To recognize these efforts, NBAA launched its Sustainable Flight Department Accreditation Program.
In the industry’s pursuit of net-zero emissions, its most effective and immediately available tool is SAF. The Business Aviation Coalition for Sustainable Aviation Fuel, a global network of fuelers, manufacturers, and industry groups also launched an entirely new website, making clear that SAF is a clean, safe, drop-in fuel that can reduce the carbon lifecycle emissions of turbine aircraft by up to 80%. The website also shows that SAF is increasingly available at airports worldwide.
Through all these initiatives, and with even more sustainability resources on the way, business aviation is helping the industry meet its environmental goals – and highlight its progress toward net zero emissions to policymakers, opinion leaders and customers.