HCMC – Vietnam Airlines has become the first Vietnamese carrier to participate in the carbon dioxide measurement project developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), contributing to the aim of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
As part of the recent IATA Annual General Meeting 2024 in Dubai, the national flag carrier on June 6 signed a cooperation deal to participate in IATA’s carbon dioxide emissions measurement project (CO2 Connect).
Under the agreement, Vietnam Airlines will provide data to IATA for the computation of average emissions per passenger across various routes and aircraft types. These initial steps aim to measure and tally carbon credits, contributing to the Government’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Mitigating carbon dioxide emissions is one of the primary objectives within the global aviation sector. However, the declaration and measurement of carbon dioxide emission targets are currently conducted through various methods, leading to inconsistency in indices among airlines.
Therefore, IATA has developed the CO2 Connect project to establish a common platform for airlines to accurately, transparently, and consistently declare and measure carbon dioxide emissions.
Many major airlines worldwide, such as American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines and Qatar Airways, have participated in this project. Vietnam Airlines is the first Vietnamese carrier to join the initiative.
Based on 2022 statistics from the World Bank, Vietnam emitted 344 million tons of carbon dioxide and is forecasted to emit 450 million tons of carbon dioxide currently. The projected increase in emissions may necessitate the purchase of balancing credits to foster sustainable development.
Measuring emissions from each flight and route in accordance with international regulations will help airlines proactively manage costs, avoiding offsetting by increasing input costs, such as ticket prices, to compensate for emissions.
