The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Aviation Impact Accelerator (AIA), an international partnership between industry and academia based at the University of Cambridge, announced a collaboration to accelerate the aviation sector's transition to net carbon emissions. Zero CO2 by 2050.
The two organizations will assess the financial implications of achieving the goal of net zero CO2 emissions from aviation by 2050. Building on existing work, this collaboration will support the development of scenario-based tools to help airlines analyze and assess different decarbonization pathways. The purpose of this collaboration is to support better informed decisions by airlines and policy makers in the transition to net zero emissions. The collaboration will establish a solid foundation for IATA and AIA to develop a broader, long-term partnership.
AIA is an international group of experts drawing on a wide range of knowledge convened by the University of Cambridge. Its goal is to accelerate the journey towards sustainable aviation by developing evidence-based tools that enable people to understand, map and undertake the paths towards sustainable flight. In the last three years a network of world-class experts has been assembled and the underlying system modeling capability has been developed.
“We are excited to launch this new collaboration between AIA and IATA, investigating realistic pathways for aviation's transition to net-zero emissions by 2050. IATA has a strong track record of fostering cooperation between airlines and other stakeholders and driving change in the sector. We believe that by marrying this with the unique modeling capability of AIA, we have the opportunity to unlock change,” said Prof. Rob Miller, Director of the Whittle Laboratory at the University of Cambridge and leader of AIA.
“We are delighted to join forces with the Aviation Impact Accelerator to further our understanding of the many potential pathways to a sustainable future for air transport. The development of different technology paths will influence the long-term outlook of our industry, and our collaboration will remarkably explore this intersection,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA Senior Vice President Sustainability and Chief Economist.
As part of the future collaboration, AIA and IATA also aim to collaborate on the future development of the IATA Recommended Practice CO2 Per Passenger Calculation Methodology, among other areas of work. Used in combination with verified airline operational data, the methodology provides the most accurate and transparent calculation results for all interested in understanding the carbon footprint of flight activity.
In commitment to sustainability in this industry, the association will publish an annual Track Zero report using IATA's Net Zero Tracking Methodology to report industry-wide progress towards aviation's commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. .
The Net Zero Tracking Methodology and related reporting process were developed with industry experts. IATA will annually aggregate and report contributions from IATA member airlines by industry. After extensive validation, aggregate industry data for the previous calendar year will be reported annually in the fourth quarter of each year. The first report with data contributed by airlines is scheduled to be published in the fourth quarter of 2024. Non-IATA member airlines are also encouraged to contribute data and participate in the report.
“Transparency is a critical element of the decarbonization of aviation. We will report on our progress annually to ensure standardized, accurate and comprehensive reporting of aviation's journey to net zero. The industry-level data in the Track Zero report will help airlines, governments and investors with tools to improve decision-making to accelerate progress,” said Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA Senior Vice President Sustainability and Chief Economist. .
Individual airlines can use the aggregated data from the Track Zero report to benchmark their own progress towards decarbonization. They can also choose to report their decarbonization progress to key stakeholders, including governments, investors and customers, using IATA's Net Zero Tracking Methodology.
“Decarbonization is an industry challenge, not a competitive problem. Nonetheless, the report and the methodology behind it can enable benchmarking that could intensify decarbonization efforts by spreading the success of best practices and sparking innovation,” said Owens Thomsen.
Key features of the Net Zero monitoring methodology include:
Standardization: The methodology establishes a transparent framework for accurate reporting that can be used across the industry by identifying the scope, sources, and processes of emissions relevant to emissions monitoring and measurement.
Accuracy: The methodology includes best practices for data collection and validation with minimal administrative burden.
Comprehensiveness: The methodology is tailored for reporting all types of decarbonization activities on a life-cycle basis, including the use of conventional and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), carbon offsets/carbon sequestration, and sources of future energy (hybrid, electric and hydrogen-powered). aircraft).
The decision to publish a Track Zero report follows IATA's publication of five roadmaps detailing actions critical for aviation to reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. They address aircraft technology, energy infrastructure, operations, finance and policies. Together, they show a clear direction and will evolve with insights from the Track Zero report, practical experience and emerging technologies to help aviation establish intermediate milestones on the path to net zero.
Tourism for sustainable development will be in the spotlight at the UN High Level Forum event:
This week will bring tourism back to the United Nations headquarters to emphasize the sector's unique position to accelerate progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Reflecting the unprecedented relevance of tourism on the UN agenda, UNWTO, together with the Ministry of Tourism and Sport of the Republic of Croatia and the support of the Ministry of Tourism of India, Chair of the G20 Tourism Working Group , will bring together leaders from the public and private sectors for a high-level round table at the official side event on "Economic, Social and Environmental Sustainability in Tourism" that will take place on Friday, July 14 in the framework of the Political Forum High Level Committee on Sustainable Development of the UN.
The high-level event will further advance UNWTO's work to make tourism a key pillar of sustainable development, notably through enhanced public-private partnerships. In New York, UNWTO, together with its partners:
Provide a better understanding of the SDGs from a tourism perspective and inspire new action among government and private sector stakeholders.
Present the Goa Roadmap for Tourism as a vehicle to achieve the SDGs developed under the G20 Chairmanship of India.
Raising awareness of a crucial development that is mobilizing the power of data in forging a global consensus for harmonized data on the economic, social and environmental performance of tourism at international, national and destination levels: the upcoming Statistical Framework for measuring the sustainability of tourism. tourism (MST).
Describe the benefits that the private sector can bring to and benefit from developing a harmonized environmental, social and governance (ESG) framework for tourism businesses.
Share key takeaways from the recently released “Achieving the SDGs through Tourism: Indicator Toolkit for Projects (TIPS)”, developed in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), as a comprehensive resource designed to guide to users in the alignment of tourism development projects with the SDGs.
Connecting the main stakeholders
The Forum side event aims to inspire common action between the public, private and academic sectors for the tourism sector to achieve real sustainability by focusing on the economic, social and environmental aspects of tourism, as well as governance. The discussions will feature the views of leaders from the public, private and academic sectors from all regions of the world, as well as key figures within the United Nations itself.
Sources: IATA - UNWTO.