NBAA will begin to accept applications in January for its new Sustainable Flight Department Accreditation Program, with the aim of having the first wave of accreditations in the following August, Stewart D’Leon, NBAA's director of environmental and technical operations, told attendees at AIN’s Building a Sustainable Flight Department forum on Wednesday in Dallas. D’Leon provided an overview of plans for the program, which will enable business aviation organizations to seek accreditation in any or all of the areas involving flight, operations, ground support, and infrastructure.
The association unveiled the program this year as it strived to highlight what business aviation organizations can do and how they can do it, he said. “We want to be able to communicate to the membership that there is a path, there are things you can do. Not all of them are this massive mountain.” The organization initially conducted a pilot program with six flight departments to make sure that it was not only obtainable but realistic, he said.
NBAA opted for four categories to enable a variety of organizations to participate, not just flight departments, he said. Each category represents an independent accreditation. Breaking it into separate categories also enables organizations to take accreditations in steps, D’Leon added.
Accreditations initially will focus on the CO2 footprint. The program will require organizations to gather data on their footprint, look to areas where they can reduce their footprint, and then rectify areas where they can.
They will evaluate their footprint with a 2019 baseline. The initial application will be compared with that baseline.
Participants will need to provide an overarching document on the sustainability aspirations, and sustainability plans must take into account educational efforts, sustainability recognition initiatives, analysis of partners and organizations, community involvement, and emerging technologies.
Applications will be available from January to March. At this time, NBAA plans to release guidance material on participation. Then, from March to May, organizations will submit associated documentation. May to August will involve audits of the information with certifications following in August. NBAA plans to gather data through the process to see where future reductions could be implemented.
“Our primary goal here is to encourage and acknowledge business aviation organizations that take steps to reduce CO2. But we want to help them in that path for a meaningful change,” he said.
