Airbus has set ambitious goals for reducing the CO2 emissions from its aircraft manufacturing operations and its aircraft. The group has been awarded a certificate of compliance with ISO 14001 by DNV.
Airbus’s President and CEO, Louis Gallois, guaranteed in the award ceremony that the group will have reduced its energy consumption by 30 per cent and halved its CO2 emissions by 2020. As from next year, the group’s research and development budget will increase by 25 per cent, with the aim of ensuring that the Airbus aircraft introduced in 2020 have half the CO2 emissions and 80 per cent less NOx emissions than aircraft in 2000. In addition, savings due to environmental measures will be reinvested in developing a cleaner manufacturing process.
Presenting the ISO 14001 certificate to Airbus President and CEO Louis Gallois, DNV’s Chief Operating Officer Peter Bjerager was very pleased that Airbus had put the focus on environmental management.
“We are delighted that a large multinational company such as Airbus has publicly committed itself to continue to improve its environmental performance. Achieving certification to the ISO 14001 standard on such a wide scale, covering all the company’s production sites and products through the lifecycle, is a clear documentation on how far Airbus has come. Airbus is an excellent example to be followed for truly efficient ways forward,” commented Mr. Bjerager.
During the ceremony, Mr Gallois urged the entire industry and all governments to share his vision of a more environmentally friendly aircraft industry. He pointed out that no player in this industry possesses all the knowledge alone. He therefore also launched the idea of a meeting of senior representatives of aircraft and aircraft engine manufacturers, so that they could together find solutions to urgent tasks and maintain their involvement in this issue.
The EU Commission’s Vice President in charge of Enterprise and Industry, Günter Verheugen, was also present at the ceremony. He supported Airbus’s vision and urged the entire aircraft industry to act immediately. The aviation industry currently accounts for around two per cent of the world’s CO2 emissions.
The greenest aircraft in the air at present is the Airbus A380, claimed Mr Gallois. “This huge aircraft is so efficient that the rest of the aircraft industry will, at today’s rate of developments, take 20 years to achieve the same level,” he said.
The many environmental measures that Airbus is aiming for include chemical-free fabrication of aircraft parts and the use of advanced materials in order to lighten planes and thus reduce their fuel consumption.