AIRBUS AN ECO-EFFICIENT ENTERPRISE

Airbus is set to contribute to sustainable growth - a growth compatible with the environment, and to
continue delivering solutions to a world that wants greater mobility… and a cleaner and quieter
future.
Airbus is totally committed to ensuring that air travel continues to be one of the safest, and most
eco-efficient means of transportation. Environmental, health and safety (EHS) considerations have
long been an integral part of its activities at all levels of the company, and are a key priority in the
development of all new techniques, products and processes. Today, it makes even stronger
business sense.
Despite the fact that the aviation’s contribution to overall CO2 man-made emissions is expected to
remain low compared to other sectors within the coming decade (ca. two per cent of man-made
CO2 emissions), no other sector makes such important relative investments and efforts to decouple
its growth from the associated environmental impacts.
As an aircraft manufacturer, Airbus is committed to ensuring that growth of our industry is Eco-
Efficient.
Eco-Efficiency is not about greenery.
Eco-Efficiency is a management practice, allowing being more environmentally responsible while
bringing more profitability and social benefits.
In brief, it is about creating more value with less environmental impact, enlarging the scope to the
full lifecycle and anticipating issues at the earliest possible stage. Eco-Efficiency aims at
maximizing the benefits delivered by our products and services to our customers and other
stakeholders while minimizing the Environmental impact throughout their lifecycle.
Becoming more Eco-Efficient makes good business sense. Building aircraft Eco-Efficiently on the
ground that will operate Eco-Efficiently in the air is the Company’s core business.
In January 2007, Airbus became the first company in the aerospace manufacturing sector to
receive the ISO 14001 environmental certification covering all its 15 European manufacturing
sites and all its product related activities throughout a full lifecycle approach.
This means that Airbus systematically uses a robust Environmental Management System
(EMS) to continually monitor and minimize the environmental impacts of Airbus processes and
products at each stage of the activity throughout the lifecycle.
Design
In the frame of its innovative EMS, based on recognised standards, Airbus has performed a
streamlined lifecycle analysis and set-up a methodology for mapping aircraft environmental
impacts throughout the entire product lifecycle. Performed on a long-range programme in a pilot
phase, this approach has enabled Airbus to identify the environmental issues that matter and to
address them appropriately.

Minimising environmental impacts at source is paramount as design exerts a major influence on
each dimension of aircraft’s environmental performance. Environment is therefore part of toplevel
requirements for the design of any new product. That’s why 80 per cent of the company’s
€2 billion Research & Development (R&D) has environmental benefits for current and future
aircraft. Airbus’ Research & Technology (R&T) efforts are focused on investigating, testing,
validating and optimising the most advanced technologies, design features, configurations and
architectures that will lead to aircraft generating fewer emissions and less noise, while carrying
a maximum payload over the mission range.
Reducing engine emissions is a priority for Airbus. In addition to optimised propulsion systems
and overall aerodynamic efficiency, a major area of research is the continuous and progressive
introduction of advanced materials and new processes to reduce the basic weight of an aircraft
to minimise fuel consumption and corresponding engine emissions. The A380 is the first
commercial aircraft to incorporate as much as 25% composites. With a carbon-fibre-reinforced
plastic composite centre wing box, a weight saving of up to 1.5 tonnes has been achieved. With
less than three litres per passenger per 100 kilometres the A380 has a very low fuel burn. This
corresponds to less than 75 grammes of CO2 emissions per passenger per km.
Reducing noise at source is a similar priority. The company is not only working on low-noise
nacelle designs, acoustic treatments, and low engine noise technologies hand-in-hand with
engine manufacturers. One such innovative project is the 0-splice inlet technology for engine
nacelles to reduce fan noise. It also contributes to the remarkable noise performance of the
A380 that shows unprecedented certified noise levels with a 17-EPNdB cumulative margin to
the most stringent ICAO Chapter 4 standard, and satisfies the noise requirements of the most
restrictive international airports.
Airbus has also taken on board an ambitious Research and Technology Vision and signed on
13th October 2006 the Memorandum of Understanding to establish the Aeronautics Joint
Technology Initiative (JTI) “Clean Sky”. This JTI is a large seven-year industry-driven
technological research programme that will radically improve the impact of air transport on the
environment through technologies and solutions enabling step changes in the reduction of fuel
consumption, emissions and noise for future aircraft.
Supply chain
Aircraft are one of the most complex products, integrating hundreds of thousands of
components. Therefore, collaborating with the entire supply chain is key to ensuring reliability at
each subcomponent level, and delivering products on time and within budget that satisfy the
highest environmental and quality standards. Environmental requirements are included in the
selection of Airbus Suppliers and are introduced in contractual agreements. Airbus Suppliers
are expected to provide reliable environmental data on the products delivered and to develop
and implement an Environmental Management System.
Tracking and managing hazardous materials has also been for long time crucial to Airbus.
A proactive approach developed in close collaboration with main EU and US aerospace
companies should enable Airbus to best manage its compliance with environmental laws and

regulations, in particular with the European regulation on chemicals (REACH).
Manufacturing
Among the main areas of Airbus’ manufacturing processes, Airbus devotes considerable effort
to containing, reducing and, where possible, eliminating their environmental impact through theefficient abatement of the inputs to and outputs from these processes, the implementation of
clean technologies and regular monitoring.
In terms of manufacturing inputs, Airbus continuously protects potentially renewable resources,
like water, by implementing the most environmentally friendly solutions: recycling it for certain
industrial processes or reducing its evaporation as far as possible. Important reductions have
already been obtained since 2003.
Through its continuous improvement approach defined with its EMS, Airbus has set ambitious
objectives for 2020 for its manufacturing activities; these objectives are, in reference to 2006:
• 30% reduction in energy consumption
• 50% reduction in CO2 emissions
• 50% reduction in solvent emissions
• 50% reduction in water consumption
• 80% reduction in water discharge
• 50% reduction in waste production.
Important efforts are also developed to implement renewable sources of energy for the new
buildings and to anticipate new standards in that field.
The EMS has been now been successfully expanded to worldwide locations such as in China
and the USA thus guaranteeing that the same standard is applied wherever Airbus operates.
Airbus is convinced that raising awareness on the main environmental challenges among the
youth community, general public and aviation related stakeholders would help in reducing the
impact and stimulate the emergence of sound innovative environmentally friendly solutions. In
2008, Airbus partnered with the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to
support 'The Green Wave' initiative, a worldwide educational campaign intended to provide
support to educate people on the crucial role that protecting the diversity of life on earth plays.
Aircraft operations
There is a persistent demand today for our industry to further improve the overall environmental
performance of aircraft operations and further reduce noise, emissions and fuel burn.
Aircraft entering into service now are typically 20 decibels quieter than comparable products in
the 1970s. The A380 is the quietest long-range aircraft on the market, with comparable noise
levels than the A340 (one of the quietest aircraft of its kind) for twice as many passengers. It
also meets the stringent requirements for operations at London airports - QC/2 for departures
and QC/0.5 for arrivals. Fuel consumption standards and associated CO2 emissions have been
more than halved since 1960.
The ideal Airbus vision for aviation would be towards neutral emissions. To progress in that
direction, several research programmes have to be carried out, including the development of
possible alternative fuels. Airbus collaborates with Rolls Royce, Qatar Airways, Qatar Petroleum
and Shell to investigate the potential of Gas-to-Liquid (GTL) kerosene, a synthetic fuel made
from natural gas. Early February 2008, an Airbus A380 aircraft successfully completed the
world’s first ever flight by a commercial aircraft using GTL. Testing GTL today will support future
second generation bio-fuels .End-of-life
There are some 6,400 aircraft due to reach end-of-life by 2026. Hence the need for
decommissioning, dismantling and recycling aircraft in an environmentally- responsible manner
has to be addressed. Airbus’ response is the PAMELA process or Process for Advanced
Management of End of Life of Aircraft project.
With its partners, Airbus set up a dedicated experimental centre at Tarbes Airport (France) in
March 2005, where procedures for decommissioning, dismantling and recycling aircraft in safe
and environmentally responsible conditions are being trialed. The experimental project, selected
as part of European Union’s LIFE programme in 2007 , proves that up to 85 percent (in weight)
of aircraft can be recycled. Moreover it also demonstrates that more than 70 percent in weight
of components and materials can be reused or recovered through regulated recovery channels.
The PAMELA project is now followed by a second, industrial phase called TARMACAEROSAVE,
which draws upon PAMELA experience. TARMAC is being used by Airbus as a
center of reference to capitalise knowledge and return of experience on smart and selective
dismantling in terms of environmental approach, eco-conception, and ageing aircraft in
partnership with SITA, Snecma Services, Equip’Aéro, Tasc aviation and Aéroconseil.
Airbus believes that such an integrated approach throughout the full life-cycle up to the end-oflife
is the right way to better understand and control any aircraft environmental impacts. By
continuously working towards greener skies, Airbus seeks to ensure that air transport continues
to be the most eco-efficient means of transport, delivering economic value while minimising its
environmental impact - thus meeting society’s expectations.
This responsible progressive approach towards an integrated sustainable development strategy
that Airbus is aiming at was officially endorsed in May 2007 when Airbus decided to become a
signatory of the UN Global Compact*, an international initiative based on ten guiding principles
on human and labour rights, environmental protection and the fight against corruption.
As a Global Compact member, and to demonstrate its leadership in tackling climate change,
Airbus signed the statement “Caring For Climate; the business leaders’ platform”**, a platform
of commitments developed by the Global Compact, the United Nations Environmental Program
(UNEP) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
Airbus is an EADS company.