Our approach to sustainability reporting
Being a responsible business means balancing the needs and expectations of society with our commitments to our business and our stakeholders.
To prioritise our efforts, we engage with our stakeholders to identify materiality issues that require action and transparency, and we report against a range of highly-respected, globally-recognised standards to ensure a best-in-class approach.
We also rely on our Sustainability strategy and its commitments to guide us in our responsible business practices.
At Airbus, we're committed to applying strong principles to how we conduct our business and to challenging ourselves to go further in mitigating our environmental impact because we believe we can, and should, raise the bar on what’s possible in sustainability in our industry.
Guillaume Faury, CEO Airbus
The standards we measure ourselves against
Airbus measures its progress on sustainability against strict criteria codified in globally-recognised and highly-respected frameworks and standards. We approach our reporting from a standpoint of accuracy and transparency, and were the first aircraft manufacturer to disclose Scope 3 figures for the aircraft that we deliver to our customers.
We have been a supporter of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) since December 2020. And in addition, in 2022 we committed to having our near-term greenhouse gas emissions targets assessed by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which is acknowledged as the gold standard in CO2 target setting methodology. These targets were approved by the SBTi in early 2023.
Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards
In regards to overall sustainability reporting, Airbus has chosen to report against the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standards, one of the most internationally used and recognised reporting standards today.
Sustainability Accounting Standards Board
Airbus also links its sustainability information to the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) disclosure framework for aerospace and defence companies, a recognised standard that outlines industry-specific ESG metrics.
UN Global Compact
Airbus has been a signatory to the UN Global Compact since 2003. Our sustainability commitments are aligned with and support the UN Sustainable Development Goals, a global call to action to ensure a more sustainable future for people and the planet by 2030. We were among the first in our industry to formally adopt the SDGs as a framework for our social responsibility practices.
TCFD
As a supporter of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) since 2020, Airbus’ approach to addressing climate risks and opportunities follows the four pillars of the TCFD: governance, strategy, risk management, metrics and targets.
SBTi
Airbus has defined near-term science-based targets for its Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions. These targets have been validated by the Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi), which is the gold standard for climate targets validation.
Airbus Materiality Assessment
We conduct materiality assessments since 2017 periodically to prioritise our top environmental, social and governance (ESG) topics. The latest update of materiality assessment was conducted in 2022 predominantly based on the anticipated requirements of the upcoming EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.
We built a three-dimensional matrix.The results of our materiality assessment offer us a clear roadmap and overview of the key material issues impacting our business. This assessment helps us to define the strategic direction required to conduct our day-to-day work in an informed manner.
The process captured the voice of the following 12 key stakeholders groups:
- Customers
- Suppliers
- Partners
- NGOs
- Investors
- Employees
- Social Partners
- Governments
- Industry associations
- MRO providers
- Airports
- Community at large
These key groups identified Climate Change, Product Safety, Business Integrity and Cyber Security as the most significant and relevant topics.
We regularly conduct this assessment to define the strategic direction required to conduct our day-to-day work in an informed manner, and to ensure we report on the topics most material to our stakeholders.
Materiality Matrix 2022
