“We need to be decisive”: Etihad releases inaugural sustainability report

“We need to be decisive”: Etihad releases inaugural sustainability report
By Alexandra Coulton


Etihad has released its inaugural Sustainability Report, outlining the impact the company has had on the environment and detailing its sustainability strategy.

The report shows the potential advancements to be made in sustainable aviation by a range of initiatives, coordinated to achieve a 20 per cent reduction in emissions intensity in its passenger fleet by 2025, cut 2019 net emissions by 50 per cent by 2035, and reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

Tony Douglas, CEO of Etihad Aviation Group, said the report highlights the airline’s insistence on harnessing the opportunities available today and commits to continuing to find solutions for the future.

“Many partners joined us on this journey over the last two years, and this report demonstrates the potential we have collectively, with an ambition to set the direction for 2022 and beyond,” Douglas said.

“We need to be bold in facing this issue. We need to be decisive. There is no other way forward.

“That is why we have been insistent that we continue to focus on the question as a long-term strategic priority for our business, spearheaded by the Etihad Greenliner and Sustainabile50 programmes.”

According to the 2020-2021 report, Etihad reduced its total carbon emissions by 56 per cent (due in part to reduced scheduled operations from pandemic impact), restructured its fleet strategy to focus on modern, fuel-efficient aircraft, with the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 as the backbone of its fleet and launched the first aircraft carbon offset programme in the Middle East.

On top of this, Etihad became the first airline to secure commercial finance based on verified compliance with the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, raised US$1.2 billion in the first sustainability-linked loan (SLL) tied to environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets in global aviation and partnered with Boeing, Safran and NASA for eight days of specialised testing to enhance safety and reduce CO2 emissions and noise as part of 2020 ecoDemonstrator programme

Etihad Greenliner

Recently, the airline undertook a week of intensive research and testing on over 30 flights to test operational efficiencies, technology and procedures that will reduce carbon emissions, in an expansion of its ongoing sustainability flight testing regime.

The week-long programme included over 20 commercial flights operating across Etihad’s network to test contrail avoidance technologies in partnership with SATAVIA, a UK-based green aerospace company. Contrails cause up to 60 per cent of aviation’s total climate impact, the equivalent to two per cent of all human impact.

In contrast to many green aerospace initiatives, contrail prevention is a software solution that can be implemented in the near-term through technical integration with flight operations.

The airline will also operate up to 13 dedicated ‘EcoFlights’ testing a range of flight and engine optimisation initiatives, with successful trials to be incorporated into regular scheduled operations.

Each of these flight tests will be operated on Etihad’s fleet of fuel-efficient A350 and 787 aircraft, spearheaded by the ‘Etihad Greenliner’, and Etihad’s newest aircraft, the ‘Sustainable 50’.

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