Europe’s Business Aviation Group Launches Sustainability Initiative

Likely in response to strong anti-aviation sentiment in the region, the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) announced yesterday (May 28) at its annual trade show in Geneva, Switzerland, that it has launched Tier 1 of its new Standards and Training for Aviation Responsibility and Sustainability (STARS) program. Maureen Gautier, EBAA’s Sustainability and Future Workforce Manager, said, “With STARS, together with our successful trial partners, we have laid down a strong foundation for sustainable practices in our industry. The official launch of Tier 1 opened up the program for official registration.”

The first phase of the program focuses on self-measurement and writing policy to push forward on environmental and sustainability goals. “Responsibility” targets include issues such as greenhouse gas emissions reporting, waste and water usage, conduct codes, non-discrimination, and data privacy and security.

EBAA Secretary General Holger Krahmer cited the association’s leadership role in pushing back on the bad name aviation has in public perception, saying, “EBAA launched STARS to demonstrate that business aviation is not just committed to sustainability, but aims to lead in this process through concrete and measurable actions. This ambitious program aims to position business aviation as a leader in achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 while also addressing essential social aspects of sustainability.”