On Wednesday 18 December, the European Commission presented a regulation that introduces an environmental performance label (‘Flight Emissions Label’) that will enable the level of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from flights to be calculated reliably.
Airlines operating within or from the European Union will be able to join the label on a voluntary basis. This is provided for in the ‘Refuel Aviation’ regulation (article 14) on the deployment of alternative fuels in aviation (Sustainable Aviation Fuels - SAF), adopted in October 2023 (see EUROPE 13267/35).
From summer 2025, passengers will be able to view and compare the estimated emissions of their flights, enabling them to make more informed purchasing decisions. At present, airlines and ticket vendors use disparate methods to estimate flight emissions, which makes comparison difficult.
The label aims to remedy this situation by defining a reliable and harmonised method for estimating flight emissions, taking into account factors such as aircraft type, average number of passengers and volume of freight on board, as well as the aviation fuel used.
“This label will put an end to misleading environmental claims about flight emissions and foster a level playing field, enabling fair competition and driving sustainability across the transport and tourism industries”, said Apóstolos Tzitzikóstas, European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, in a press release. (Original version in French by Anne Damiani)