13 Airlines Unite for CO2-Conscious Travel
IATA and the oneworld Alliance are teaming up to make it easier for travellers to know the carbon footprint of their flights.
All 13 oneworld member airlines, including Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, and others, will share operational data with IATA's CO2 Connect emissions calculator.
This collaboration aims to improve the tool's accuracy by increasing the use of airline-specific fuel burn data.
Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA's Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Chief Economist, said, "oneworld is the first airline alliance to join this initiative. The goal is to help travellers make informed choices about their CO2 footprint."
Grace Cheung, Chair of oneworld's Environmental and Sustainability Board, stressed that this partnership aims to provide customers with accurate estimates of their flight's CO2 emissions, supporting better choices for travellers and enhancing ESG reporting in the aviation sector.
CO2 Connect, launched by IATA in June 2022, uses airline data to calculate passenger CO2 emissions. It covers 74 aircraft types, representing nearly 98% of the global passenger fleet, and incorporates data from 881 operators, covering about 93% of global air travel. The tool's data is accessible through various channels like APIs, flat files, airline sales channels, and travel management companies.
A recent poll found that 90% of travellers believe they have a responsibility to know their flight's carbon emissions, but only 2 in 5 actively seek this information. While 84% say it's easy to find tools for estimating carbon emissions, 90% expect airlines or travel agents to provide this information. This highlights the industry's role in keeping passengers informed about the environmental impact of their flights.
IATA CO2 Connect will continue evolving, with recent additions including a corporate reporting solution for business travel emissions. Next year, there are plans to introduce CO2 compensation solutions. Additionally, a Cargo calculator is in development, set to launch this year, catering to shippers and freight forwarders seeking accurate CO2 emissions data from actual airline records.
Source: oneworld
