Video of the Week - How can airlines achieve their sustainability goals?

3 March, 2020

Just as airlines begin to savour the prospect of financial sustainability, this ease has been quickly interrupted by the threat of failing to meet sustainability goals. In the area of climate change, of course, national and EU emissions targets provide clear goals for airlines (and airports) to work towards.

The rapid growth of the industry intensifies the need to act quickly and effectively. However, sustainability relates to more than simply our approach to climate change. But, why does industry need to earn its licence to grow and what external pressures are we seeing to challenge aviation's sustainability record?

This was questioned during the recent CAPA - Centre for Aviation Qatar Aviation, Aeropolitical & Regulatory Summit in Doha where CAPA's chairman emeritus, Peter Harbison hosted a panel discussion, including ATAG executive director, Michael Gill; Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University dean of the college of business, Maneesh Sharma; European Commission head of unit for aviation agreements, Carlos Bermejo Acosta; and Studio Pierallini/LUISS University of Rome, named partner and professor of aviation law, Laura Pierallini

Among the discussions they questioned why industry needs to earn its licence to grow; what external pressures are being seen to challenge aviation's sustainability record; the status of EU ETS/CORSIA and the overlap of national emission schemes with CORSIA; and noise regulation as a challenge to growth. They also considered how to drive the commercial deployment of sustainable aviation fuels as a pillar of industry's climate action strategy and technological advances as a driver of environmental efficiency.