The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Travalyst have joined forces intending to provide the public with a consistent, accurate, and widely available calculation of their carbon footprint from air travel. As all sectors of the aviation and travel industries come together in pursuit of net zero carbon dioxide goals, this new and significant collaboration will bring even greater transparency, accuracy, and consistency to calculating a traveler’s carbon footprint.
Travalyst and IATA both possess a deep understanding of the traveler and relevant technical and operational expertise, enabling the two organizations to collaborate closely to align CO2 emission calculations. This collaboration will focus on data and standard methodology for route-based passenger CO2 emissions calculations for aviation at scale. It will include a shared position on accounting for sustainable aviation fuel.
IATA is the trade association for the world’s airlines, representing some 300 airlines, or 83%, of total air traffic. The group supports many areas of aviation activity and helps formulate industry policy on critical aviation issues. It commits to driving sustainability by implementing the best practices that minimize environmental impact and add social value. Also, it strives to carry on with its mission to represent, lead and serve the airline industry under strong governance principles that ensure transparency and accountability in its daily work.
“Consumers want to understand the environmental impact of their travels. Travalyst and IATA continuously work to improve their methodologies by incorporating emerging knowledge of climate impacts. So, we are working together to provide the consumer with easy access to consistent calculations of the environmental cost of their travel,” said Willie Walsh, IATA director general.
Sally Davey, CEO of Travalyst, shared, “This is the first time that airlines and the travel technology sector have come together in this way. As such, it is a milestone moment in the sector’s decarbonization. In the face of the climate emergency, travelers want and need unequivocal information about their carbon footprint on which to base travel decisions. We are bringing some of the leading travel brands around the table with the world’s leading airline association to provide consumers with the most accurate carbon calculations easily.” (Story and image courtesy of International Air Transport Association)