With the recent completion of environmental product declarations (EPDs) for the Global 5500 and 6500 ultra-long-range jets, Bombardier has established a goal to have EPDs for all of its in-production aircraft by 2025 as it pushes for transparency and prepares for future models. Bombardier (Booth K40, Static AD_09) announced receipt of the Global 5500 and 6500 EPDs earlier this month, joining those already completed for the Global 7500 and Challenger 3500—the only other business jets to have them.

The EPDs detail information about an aircraft’s environmental footprint throughout its life cycle—from design to end-of-life—and are the culmination of more than a decade of development of key metrics that can be standardized through data gathering, validation, and analysis.

The Canadian aircraft manufacturer initially obtained an EPD for the Global 7500 in June 2020 after working with industry organizations and 45 Tier 1 suppliers to assess 200,000 parts over the development of the aircraft. Bombardier followed the same methodology with the Challenger 3500, which received an EPD in 2022, and again with the Global 5500 and 6500, which involved the assessment of a combined 280,000 parts. 

While EPDs are prevalent across numerous industries, Bombardier has been forging new territory for business jets. As such, the manufacturer had to work with a panel of industry, environmental, and standards experts to help shape the product category rules for business aviation, according to Mathieu Noel, director of product strategy, industrial design, and sales engineering at Bombardier. Those standards were opened for comments and then validated and agreed to for business aviation.

The result was a template for a sweeping review of the design, development, production, service, and end-of-life aspects of the aircraft. “We started to accumulate all this information about the environmental footprint of the aircraft and that led to a rigorous data analysis,” he said. After that analysis and third-party validation, the EPDs were issued.

Noel added that the review was exhaustive. “We can’t just pump them out one after the other. We actually go through aircraft parts one by one," he said, "and validate their environmental impact.” This includes assessing the sourcing of the material and the assembly of the parts/components and main aircraft. This assessment extends through operations and maintenance “all the way to the end of life,” he said.

End-of-life evaluations consider which parts can be recycled and which ones go to waste. “We measure the use of water, we measure emissions, we measure recyclable, our energy consumption, whether it's renewable energy or non-renewable energy,” Noel said, recalling the company’s initial interactions as it went down that road. “We were asking how much water did you use in producing this part before you shipped it to us? We got a lot of raised eyebrows.”

He added, however, the effort is critical for Bombardier. “It’s about owning the challenge that our industry faces. It's about being transparent about it.” The EPD, he stressed, is “not a spin or marketing push. It’s not saying one aircraft is greener than another.” Simply put, it's environmental data, Noel added, likening EPDs to the nutrition label on food packaging. “For us, it's important for there to be a report because we want the customer to be educated in making the purchase decision.”

The EPDs also help provide perspective on the design of new products from a sustainability perspective. Noel pointed to elements such as the Rolls-Royce Pearl engines and redesigned wings that brought 13 percent better fuel efficiency on the Global 5500 and 6500. In addition, Bombardier noted the sustainable cabin materials offered on the aircraft and the Challenger 3500 eco app to help guide more efficient operations.

“It's been our top priority at Bombardier to create products that have less and less of an environmental impact over time,” said Noel, noting the company’s goal is to invest 50 percent of its research and development money into greener aircraft technologies with concrete steps short and long term. “We don't want to have just lofty goals. We want to take steps to get there.”

Bombardier has made its product life-cycle analysis available for industry and public consultation, and Noel said the company is working with other manufacturers on their life-cycle analyses.