Branchspace Conscious

According to IATA, global air passenger demand reached record high in 2024 with a total full-year traffic rising by 10.4% compared to 2023 – or 3.8% above pre-pandemic (2019) levels. As the industry welcomes this positive dynamic, we also need to ask ourselves how we will balance this growth with our short- and long-term sustainable goals. In 2021, the World Economic Form warned the world that although aviation represents around 2-3% of global CO2 emissions today, this number could rise to 22% by 2050 as more people are able to fly and other industries decarbonize quicker and more efficiently. Aviation therefore needs to come up with more sustainable alternative business models to keep operating and growing while minimising its impact on the Planet. In the words of Shashank Nigam, CEO of SimpliFlying, the industry will “need refreshed models that can share with everyone the magic of flying”. In this context, we have looked at how airlines are incorporating alternative models such as Circular Economy principles into their operations and sustainability plans. We have reviewed the ESG reports and announcements published by various airlines across the globe and have found that airlines are taking a variety of actions to implement Circular Economy concepts, focusing on reducing waste, increasing recycling, reusing materials, and replacing single-use items with more sustainable alternatives.

Through the Fly Net Zero 2050 pledge and various other commitments, our industry has set ambitious goals to ensure that flying is sustainable and to achieve net-zero carbon emissions from all airline operations by 2050. This transition to a greener aviation will require new skills, both in the shape of new emerging occupations and changes in needs for existing occupations. These new, ‘green skills’ have been defined by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) as “the skills needed by the workforce, in all sectors and at all levels, in order to help the adaptation of products, services and processes to the transformations due to climate change and to environmental requirements and regulations”. Recognising the need for these new skills and investing in developing them now is essential to the success of our Net Zero ambitions. They will indeed be required to develop new sustainable technologies, apply new practices in operations and logistics, understand and implement new green policies, anticipate risks linked to climate change, and manage resources etc.

At Branchspace, we believe that as a trusted technology partner for travel companies we have a role to play in supporting the industry’s efforts towards decarbonisation. There are many ways technology and digital transformation can support aviation’s global NetZero goals and we are determined to help our customers and their users on their journey to more environmentally friendly travels.

As we step into 2025, the United States have once again withdrawn from the Paris Agreement and some of the industry’s most prominent voices such as Willie Walsh (head of airline trade body IATA ) and Sir Tim Clark (Emirates president) have raised concerns on aviation’s ability to reach key environmental targets. All this against the backdrop of record global temperatures and unprecedented climate disasters with warnings from global experts that we must now decarbonise at a rate twenty times faster if we are to limit global warming to 1.5°C. In the face of these developments, it is fair to ask whether the wind has gone out of the sails of sustainability? From recent conversations with industry partners and our own research into sustainability trends, we can categorically say that no, sustainability is not losing momentum. A lot of challenges will be shaping the sustainability landscape in the next 12 months and these challenges will most certainly call for new solutions and evolution in sustainability strategies.

Start 2025 with 5 must-read insights on sustainable aviation and travel—exploring key challenges, innovations, and opportunities for a greener future