Climate Lobbying Overview: Airbus appears to have mixed, and mostly negative, positioning with its climate policy engagement for aviation in 2019-21. Airbus appears to support global regulations for aviation, including the CORSIA offsetting scheme, while taking mixed or negative positions on more direct and stringent aviation climate policy at regional and national levels.

Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: In a 2020 EU consultation response, Airbus further stated support for a “net-zero emissions aviation ecosystem in Europe by 2050”, and a December 2021 Op-Ed by an Airbus Senior VP states support for both the European Green Deal and the EU 2050 climate neutrality target, while advocating against "too much regulation and taxation in the short term". However, comments from Airbus CEO, Guillaume Faury, in April 2021 suggested he was unsupportive of European climate-related government regulation, and in a speech in 2019 he suggested it was “unfair” that the aviation sector had been highlighted for its environmental impact as it is only “2% to 2.5% of CO2 emissions.” In a September 2021 response to a UK parliamentary committee, Airbus stated support for a "clear, long term CO2 target for global aviation, to be agreed at the 2022 ICAO Aviation General Assembly" without specifying support for a specific date or percentage commitment. Additionally, in oral testimony to the UK government in December 2021, a senior executive from Airbus supported the Paris Agreement's global 1.5C temperature goal.

Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: Airbus has communicated support for ICAO’s CORSIA offsetting scheme for aviation and the CO2 standard for aircraft in its 2020 Annual Report, published in 2021. In a 2020 US consultation response, Airbus appeared to qualify its support for the US certifying ICAO’s global CO2 standard for aircraft into domestic law on the condition that “Airbus does not believe the EPA should impose rules that are different from, or in excess of” ICAO standards.

Airbus appears to have a mixed position regarding an EU sustainable aviation fuels blending mandate. In 2020, as part of the World Economic Forum’s Clean Skies for Tomorrow initiative, Airbus appeared to endorse a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blending mandate. However, while Airbus referenced a potential EU SAF blending mandate in an October 2020 EU consultation response, it appeared to take an unclear position on the policy, stressing that “there needs to a very close harmonisation with global policy and potential blending mandates”. In 2019, Airbus appeared to communicate opposition to an EU-wide carbon tax on aviation as part of an Airlines for Europe event.

Positioning on Energy Transition: In 2019-20 Airbus appears to have communicated general support for the electrification of aviation. In 2020, Airbus publicly supported decarbonizing aviation through the development of planes fueled by green hydrogen. In a 2020 op-ed by Airbus CEO, Guillaume Faury, seems to have emphasized aviation’s environmental benefits over rail, and stressed that the “expectations of what rail can achieve exceed the current reality” regarding travel in Europe compared to aviation. The Airbus CEO also appears to have supported an EU-wide fleet renewal scheme to subsidize the purchase of new aircraft in a 2020 interview. In a February 2021 presentation to the EU Commission Airbus similarly urged the EU to support a fleet renewal scheme as part of the EU green stimulus, further suggesting that such measures should be included in the EU Taxonomy.

Industry Association Governance: Airbus has provided a limited disclosure of its trade association members, of some of its trade association memberships on the Airbus website, with no further details on their climate positions, nor Airbus’ engagement with them, provided. Airbus has not published a review of its alignment with its industry associations. Airbus is a strategic partner of 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 is actively lobbying against ambitious climate policy for aviation in Europe.