China Airlines reaches an environmental milestone by quantifying and reporting its greenhouse gas emissions
(photo: Taiwan Int'l Airport)
Tue 1 Dec 2009 – Taiwan’s China Airlines has had its greenhouse gas emissions inventory verified and certified to the ISO 14064-1:2006 standard, the first airline in the country to achieve this level. The standard specifies principles and requirements at the organization level for quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals. It includes requirements for the design, development, management, reporting and verification of an organization’s GHG inventory. The airline sees it as an important step in its commitment to reducing emissions.
Together with the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), the Science Technology Consultant Corporation and verifiers Det Norske Veritas (DNV), the airline conducted an assessment of total GHG emissions from its air operations, ground services and administration activities.
DNV verified that throughout its operations, China Airlines (CAL) was responsible for around 6.6 million tonnes of CO2e in 2008.
The airline set up an Environmental Affairs Working Group in May 2007 with the aim of reducing fuel consumption, carbon emissions, energy consumption and maintenance waste.
In February 2008, CAL became the first Asian carrier to join the European IAGOS (In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System) research study. In conjunction with the EPA and Taiwan’s National Central University, the airline signed an agreement with IAGOS concerning the Pacific Greenhouse Gases Measurement Project. The project involves equipping two China Airlines A340-300 aircraft with instrumentation for the purpose of measuring and recording the atmosphere during flights. The recorded data is expected to provide useful information for global environmental protection research.
