SITA becomes certified CarbonNeutral company

SITA, the world’s leading IT provider for the air transport industry, has achieved CarbonNeutral company certification, with the major milestone getting realized a full year ahead of SITA’s original target of 2022.

The certification resulted from decisive actions to significantly reduce emissions associated with its business operations in 2020, a SITA statement said.

SITA has reduced its overall emissions of greenhouse gases by 48 per cent between 2019 and 2020. SITA’s UN recognized carbon neutrality Planet+ program has been key to lowering the company’s emissions with initiatives designed to create sustainable and energy-efficient workplaces and reduce internal business travel.

SITA also compensates 100 per cent of any carbon emissions that it has been unable to reduce or eliminate by financing projects that help cut and negate existing and future carbon emissions while supporting multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These offsetting projects include supporting renewable energy, reforestation, and protecting biodiversity.

SITA’s journey to achieving carbon neutrality and formal accreditation has involved working with several independent expert environmental bodies. To develop a credible carbon neutral program, the organization has followed The CarbonNeutral Protocol’s rigorous framework, which is managed by Natural Capital Partners, the leading experts on carbon neutrality and climate finance.

Working with independent emissions assessor RSK Group, a comprehensive review of emissions relating to operations and business travel was undertaken to calculate SITA’s carbon footprint. In 2020, this was extended to include many more indirect emissions generated from activities such as homeworking, which was commonplace for SITA employees during the pandemic. The decrease in SITA’s carbon footprint reflects its actions since 2018 to reduce, eliminate and offset its emissions to achieve certification.

Following the organization’s carbon neutrality achievement, the company is firmly committed to further decrease emissions and achieve its challenging reduction targets for the years to come. In parallel, SITA is turning its attention to developing new technology to help its customers and the wider aviation industry reduce its carbon footprint. This work is predominately focused on streamlining aircraft operations and reducing fuel burn, with a clear and measurable reduction in carbon emissions.

The company’s recent acquisition of Safety Line was designed to strengthen the organization’s portfolio to help drive greater operational efficiencies around fuel consumption and limiting aircraft CO2 emissions at key flight stages.

Barbara Dalibard, CEO of SITA, said: “We are delighted to have achieved our carbon neutral goal as part of our ongoing sustainability journey. I want to thank our employees who have been critical in reaching this ambitious milestone, one year ahead of our original deadline.  Being a trusted partner to the air transport industry, we are firmly committed to helping aviation reduce its emissions and achieve its carbon reduction objectives.”