Boeing charts path to sustainable aerospace

Boeing chief sustainability officer Chris Raymond.

Boeing shared its vision for the future of sustainable aerospace, established broad sustainability goals and highlighted environment, social and governance (ESG) progress in alignment with global sustainability standards in its first Sustainability Report. “In September 2020, amidst a global pandemic, Boeing formed a Sustainability organisation dedicated to advancing our ESG efforts across the enterprise. As we continue on this journey, we are pleased to publish our first comprehensive report, focused on stakeholder responsiveness and data transparency,” said Boeing chief sustainability officer Chris Raymond. “We know there’s still work to do and are committed to communicating our progress and holding ourselves accountable to ensure the aerospace industry is safe and sustainable for generations to come.” Boeing’s sustainability efforts are organised around four key pillars: people, products and services, operations and communities. In 2020, highlights across these four pillars included: n Establishing six broad new sustainability goals in alignment with our key sustainability priorities and stakeholder interests. n Defining the company’s vision for the future of sustainable aerospace through fleet renewal, network operational efficiency, renewable energy and advanced technology. n Committing to deliver commercial airplanes capable of flying on 100% sustainable fuels by 2030. n Partnering with a GCC airline on the 2020 ecoDemonstrator programme, which tested sustainable technologies on one of the airline’s new 787-10 Dreamliners. n Implementing digital engineering tools on the T-7A Red Hawk programme, achieving a 75% increase in first-time engineering quality and an 80% reduction in assembly hours. n Advancing flight tests for Cora, an all-electric, self-flying air taxi developed by Boeing and Kitty Hawk joint venture Wisk. n Responding to Covid-19 by executing airlift missions to transport supplies, providing community vaccination sites and minimising air travel health risks through the Confident Travel Initiative. n Establishing a 20-member Racial Equity Task Force to represent diverse viewpoints and amplify all voices at Boeing. n Setting 2030 environmental performance goals to reduce emissions, waste, water use and energy consumption. n Achieving net-zero carbon emissions at work sites, while reducing energy consumption by 12%, water use by 23%, solid waste by 44% and hazardous waste by 34%. n Contributing $234mn in community giving, working with 13,400 community partners and volunteering 250,000 hours.