Industry leader in its commitment to the environment
… / Management systems

Management systems

Reducing industrial impacts at all airbus production sites
Airbus’ commitment to eco-efficiency includes planning for the entire lifespan of an aircraft, from development to retirement.

Airbus underscores its commitment to enhancing the aviation industry’s eco-efficiency with initiatives that extend throughout the entire lifecycle of an aircraft – from the design and production phases to its eventual retirement from service.  As part of this approach, the company has implemented an Environmental Management System (EMS), which addresses potential environmental impacts and provides an organised approach to management decisions based on business needs, resources and goals. 

The Airbus EMS expands the scope of a standard Environmental Management System by integrating Airbus’ manufacturing processes and airliner products through a life-cycle approach – allowing for the mapping, assessment, control and reduction of an aircraft and its production’s effect on the environment.

Standardisation and REACH

Airbus was first in the aviation industry to receive International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 14001 environmental certification in 2007, which covers the entirety of the company's 16 production sites as well as every airliner throughout its service life. In 2010, a recertification was obtained and the designation was subsequently extended to Airbus' company sites in North America, along with Airbus China Limited and its subsidiaries. 

Airbus also is compliant with regulation N°1907/2006 of REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals) – the European Union’s regulatory framework for industrial chemical manufacture, market placement and usage. Although Airbus is not a producer of substances, the company is held to REACH standards since it imports numerous substances and chemicals to use in the manufacturing process. A specific REACH compliance programme has been developed to ensure that all tools and processes used at Airbus facilities will integrate REACH requirements in a recurrent mode. One of Airbus’ first REACH initiatives was to develop a monitoring tool to keep track of data for hazardous materials.

For more information, visit the REACH initiative page.

Other eco-efficiency initiatives

Additionally, an organization has been established – the Multi Programme Substance Projects (MPSP) - which has the ability to launch substitution projects, and will coordinate corresponding actions inside all aircraft programmes.

In 2011, Airbus launched an important project throughout all sites and functions - blue5 - to reduce its environmental impact by the year 2020. The programme’s goals include a 30 per cent reduction in energy consumption, 50 per cent reductions of CO2 emissions, volatile organic components (VOCs) as well as waste/water production. The initiative also calls for an 80 per cent reduction in water discharge. 

One example of Airbus’ commitment to blue5 and the environment is the company’s newest final assembly line in Toulouse, France – for the A350 XWB – considered to be the “greenest” of any final assembly facility built by the company. The facility’s building structure makes extensive use of natural lighting in order to reduce energy consumption while half of the 22,000 sq. meter roof surface is fitted with photovoltaic solar panels. Because of these initiatives, the building will produce 55 per cent of its own energy needs. 

For more information, visit our manufacturing section.