The IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) program is a globally recognized evaluation system designed to independently assess and help improve the environmental management of an airline.
IEnvA is a voluntary program helping organizations to identify, manage, monitor and control their environmental issues in a holistic manner. It commits organizations to compliance with environmental obligations and to continually improve their environmental performance.
The program follows a staged process. easyJet has successfully completed IEnvA Stage 1 implementation, assessment and certification. The airline will be working towards the Stage 2 certification this year.
Jane Ashton, director of sustainability at easyJet, said: “We view sustainability as a holistic issue at easyJet, which ranges from addressing our direct carbon emissions from flying to mitigating the broader environmental impact from our operations. I’m very pleased that we are the first UK Low-Cost Carrier to be certified by IATA’s Environmental Assessment program and we will now work towards our Stage 2 certification.”
Sebastian Mikosz, IATA senior vice president, environment and sustainability, said: “We are very pleased that easyJet has partnered with IATA and trust us to work with them to further improve their environmental management practices. easyJet’s recent IEnvA Stage 1 Certification bears witness of a solid commitment to achieving sustainability even during extremely challenging times for the industry.
Environmental sustainability is an existential challenge for the entire airline industry. IATA is proud to work with its airline members, but also non-member airlines to introduce world-class environmental management practices to the aviation industry.”
At easyJet, the company is committed to continuously assess and address its impact on the environment, this includes the direct carbon emissions from flying but also its broader environmental impact.
For example, the airline has already eliminated more than 36 million single-use plastic items used on its flights and it continues to ensure that any residual waste is recycled as much as possible, while always looking for more ways to take action.
Recently easyJet introduced new crew uniforms made from recycled plastic bottles. Forty-five bottles go into each outfit – with the potential to prevent 2.7 million plastic bottles from ending up in landfill or in oceans over the next five years. The garments are fashioned from a high-tech material that is made using renewable energy sources.
And, of course, the airline is also addressing its direct carbon impact. Last year, we joined the UN-backed “Race to Zero”, committing to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and setting an interim science-based target for 2035.
Making flying more sustainable is something easyJet has long prioritized – from being the only major European carrier to offset the carbon emissions from the fuel used for all its flights on behalf of all its customers, to proactively working alongside industry leaders, such as Airbus and Wright Electric, to champion zero-emission technologies for passenger planes of the future.
easyJet operates Airbus NEO aircraft, which are 15 percent more fuel-efficient than the planes they replace, and they continue to join easyJet’s fleet. The airline is also constantly striving in our everyday operations to reduce fuel consumption, for example through single-engine taxiing on departure and arrival and the use of advanced weather information to improve navigation performance.
