EU Taxonomy for aviation: Identifying eligible aircraft technologies

The EU Taxonomy serves as a robust framework to define environmentally sustainable economic activities. For aviation, it sets stringent criteria under Regulation (EU) 2023/2485, offering guidance on the eligibility of aircraft technologies based on their environmental performance and emissions.

Key insights from ICF’s analysis

Eligibility criteria:

• Aircraft with zero tailpipe emissions meet the criteria for making a "Substantial contribution to climate change mitigation."
• Technologies with non-zero tailpipe emissions may qualify as “transitional” if they satisfy detailed conditions designed to encourage lower emissions without significant environmental harm.

Environmental performance standards:

Aircraft must adhere to specific thresholds for CO₂ emissions and comply with “do no significant harm” (DNSH) principles. Eligibility hinges on either self-declaration by OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) or achieving formal CO₂ certification.

Methodology:

ICF's projections leveraged a combination of:

• Manufacturer-supplied data.
• Commercially available performance estimation tools.
• Existing certification databases.

Findings:

ICF identifies 25 in-production and developmental aircraft models that are likely to meet EU Taxonomy requirements, subject to self-declaration or CO₂ certification and alignment with DNSH criteria.

Why this matters

This analysis equips aviation stakeholders with essential insights into the EU Taxonomy’s sustainability framework, helping them assess the environmental compliance and market viability of their aircraft technologies. However, this analysis should not be interpreted as equivalent to official certification or self-declaration by OEMs.

For the aviation industry, understanding these evolving criteria is pivotal to advancing sustainability while navigating regulatory landscapes effectively.

The European Commission has published guidance in the form of FAQs (https://lnkd.in/d48jEaY2) and EASA has also launched its Taxonomy webpage, with some detailed information on the Global Replacement Ratio (GRR): https://lnkd.in/dEfxfvtX