has both negative and positive engagement with climate policy globally in 2021-23. While Airbus supports top-line EU climate targets and an EU sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandate, it appears unsupportive of an EU kerosene tax and other climate-related taxes on aviation.

Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Airbus’ 2022 Annual Report, published in April 2023, supported net-zero European aviation emissions by 2050, the EU Green Deal and the goals of the Paris Agreement. In a December 2022 press release, Airbus supported the adoption of a net-zero 2050 international aviation long-term aspirational target at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). More negatively, in December 2022 the Airbus CEO, Guillaume Faury, criticized Europe for its “more regulatory approach” on climate, including taxes, in a statement reported by La Tribune. Airbus’ CEO also appeared to leverage support for global regulations to oppose more stringent regional regulations during public comments at the Toulouse Summit in September 2021. Additionally, a senior Airbus Executive appeared to advocate for global regulations agreed through ICAO over regional policies at the A4E Aviation Summit in March 2022.

Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: In 2021-23, Airbus has both negative and positive engagement with climate policy globally. Regarding sustainable aviation fuels, in a September 2021 meeting with the EU Commission, obtained by Freedom of Information request, Airbus seemed to advocate for increased ambition of the ReFuelEU Aviation initiative, while highlighting cost and competitiveness concerns. Airbus also appeared to support a UK SAF mandate in a September 2021 testimony to a UK parliamentary committee, stating “any SAF mandate… needs to be implemented along with a price certainty policy by the end of 2022 at the latest”. Airbus CEO, Guillaume Faury, further communicated support for SAF and hydrogen mandates under a “harmonised Single Market regulatory framework” in a December 2021 European Roundtable publication. In the US, a joint statement signed by Airbus CEO from June 2023 stated support for the US Blenders Tax Credit for SAFs and global incentives to promote higher SAF usage. More generally, an Airbus executive communicated general support for policies incentivizing SAFs in an interview with Romania Insider in July 2023.

Regarding the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, in a September 2021 email to DG MOVE, accessed via FOI request, Airbus appeared to support a higher carbon price.

Globally, in the company’s 2022 Annual Report, released in April 2023, Airbus stated it “supports ICAO’s CORSIA scheme as the only global market-based measure for international civil aviation”. Airbus’ 2021 CDP response also disclosed support for ICAO’s CO2 standard for aircraft.

Regarding SAF sustainability policy, Airbus stated support for ICAO’s Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) methodology for lifecycle analysis of SAFs in its 2022 Annual Report, released in April 2023. In the company’s September 2021 Jet Zero UK consultation response, it stated support for protecting carbon sinks and reservoirs.

Positioning on Energy Transition: In 2021-23, Airbus appears to have mixed engagement with measures to decarbonize aviation. Airbus supported the inclusion of air transport in the EU green taxonomy according to an April 2023 Net Zero Investor report. In communications with a UK parliamentary committee in September 2021, Airbus appeared unsupportive of aviation ticket taxes. The Financial Times further reported apparent opposition from Airbus CEO, Guillaume Faury, to an EU kerosene tax in July 2021. An Airbus executive also appeared generally unsupportive of demand management policies for aviation in an interview reported by the Chronicle in June 2023.

More positively, at the March 2022 A4E Aviation Summit, an Airbus senior executive supported increased EU renewable energy targets and hydrogen infrastructure. In January 2023, Business Green reported that Airbus, as part of the Green Hydrogen Alliance, urged the UK government to move “further and faster” than its 5GW 2030 production target to promote green hydrogen.

Industry Association Governance: Airbus has provided a limited disclosure of some of its trade association memberships on its website, with no further details on their climate positions or Airbus’ engagement with them. Airbus has not published a review of its alignment with its industry associations. Airbus is a strategic partner of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which has actively and negatively lobbied climate regulation for aviation at global, regional, and national levels. Airbus is also a member of Airlines for Europe, which has lobbied against Paris-aligned climate policy for aviation in Europe, and a board member of Mouvement des Entreprises de France MEDEF, which has lobbied French and EU climate policy with mostly negative engagement.

InfluenceMap collects and assesses evidence of corporate climate policy engagement on a weekly basis, depending on the availability of information from each specific data source (for more information see our methodology). While this analysis flows through to the company’s scores each week, the summary above is updated periodically. This summary was last updated in Q3 2023.