Airbus, Brussels Airport and many others welcome the Declaration of Toulouse on future sustainability and decarbonisation of aviation

With this landmark Declaration, Europe becomes the first region worldwide to have reached an agreement between public authorities and private stakeholders on a broad aviation decarbonisation platform;

Airbus, ATR, Air France-KLM, Dassault Aviation, Groupe ADP, Safran and Thales confirm their commitment to a collective approach to address the challenges of a transition to sustainable aviation;

Brussels Airport signs up to the Toulouse Declaration, reinforcing its ambitions to reach net zero carbon at the latest in 2050.

Toulouse, 4 February 2022 – European industry leaders Airbus, Air France-KLM, ATR, Dassault Aviation, Groupe ADP, Safran and Thales welcome the declaration made in Toulouse by the European Commission and Member States under the French EU Presidency. Together:

• We welcome the commitments of the European Commission and Member States to work with the European aviation industry to achieve the decarbonisation of the sector by 2050 in alignment with the Destination 2050 roadmap.
• We will continue to invest in the maturation, development and implementation of decarbonisation technologies – notably operations, next-generation aircraft and engines, Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and synthetic fuels – and look to  institutions to support the development and deployment of innovations, especially through proven public-private research partnership instruments (such as Clean Aviation, SESAR, and CORAC), as well as appropriate support policies to accelerate fleet renewal and SAF incorporation under viable economic conditions for all stakeholders.
• We urge the European Commission to implement the launch of industrial alliances that will be critical to align the entire ecosystem around this joint ambition, particularly the Renewable and Low-Carbon Fuels Value Chain Industrial Alliance, the Alliance for Zero Emission Aviation and the European Raw Materials Alliance.
• We also welcome the call for all partners worldwide to work together towards the adoption at the 41st ICAO Assembly of an ambitious long-term aspirational goal (LTAG) for international aviation.
• We call for the commitments taken by the European Union to be adopted globally to accelerate the decarbonisation of our industry. In the meantime, we urge the European Union to implement mechanisms to ensure a level playing field and to avoid any carbon leakage linked to distortion of competition among stakeholders within the global aviation ecosystem.

Brussels Airport, together with over 200 other airports across Europe, has signed the Toulouse Declaration, an important agreement that marks a new chapter in Europe’s journey towards aviation’s net zero 2050 goal. The Toulouse Declaration marks the first time that European Governments, the European Commission, industry, unions and other key stakeholders formally align on aviation decarbonisation.

Launched by the French Presidency to the EU on the 4th February 2022, the so–called “Toulouse Declaration” is the first–ever public–private initiative supporting European aviation’s goal to reach net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. This is also the first joint initiative of its kind globally, aligning all EU stakeholders on the principles and actions needed to decarbonise and transform Europe’s aviation sector, representing a true breakthrough.

Brussels Airport fully endorses the Declaration, which complements its objective of reaching net zero CO2 emissions by 2050 at the latest, first set out in June 2019 in the ACI EUROPE Resolution committing European airports to this ambitious goal. Together with ACI Europe and over 200 other airports across the continent, Brussels Airport has signed the Toulouse Declaration.

“For more than ten years Brussels Airport has been committed to a major reduction in CO2. Brussels Airport is already CO2 neutral according to the Airport Carbon Accreditation Programme of ACI Europe since 2018, and we are working hard to further reduce our emissions. It is important that all stakeholders join forces to further green the aviation sector, and we are fully committed to playing our part”, says Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company.

Olivier Jankovec, Director General of ACI EUROPE said: “Each and every airport undersigning this Declaration is making a tangible difference to our future as an industry, as an economy and as a society. They continue to demonstrate ambition, vision and excellence in their sustainable actions. I admire and applaud each and every one of them.”

Brussels Airport is confident to reach its goal by further working on energy efficiency and sustainable infrastructure including renewable energy sources, the further electrification of its company fleet as well as ground handling equipment, improving the modal split and use of public transport, initiatives regarding waste management and waste reduction, and through upcoming projects regarding electric taxiing and sustainable aviation fuels.