Climate Lobbying Overview: Airbus appears to have mixed engagement with climate policy in 2020-22. While Airbus communicates top-line support for EU climate targets and appears to support an EU sustainable aviation fuels mandate, it appears unsupportive of an EU kerosene tax and other climate-related taxes on aviation.

Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: Airbus’ 2021 Annual Report, published in 2022, expressed support for net-zero European aviation emissions by 2050 while communicating support for the Paris Agreement and the agreement of a long-term aspirational goal through ICAO, without specifying a date. In a December 2021 European Roundtable publication, Airbus CEO, Guillaume Faury, expressed support for the EU’s Green Deal and 2030 target. However, comments from Guillaume Faury, in an April 2021 Flight Global article, criticized the EU for being “too regulated” around climate. Airbus CEO, Guillaume Faury, also appeared to leverage support for global regulations to oppose more stringent regional regulations during public comments at the Toulouse Summit in September 2021. The Airbus February 2022 ‘Report of the Board of Directors’ further stated regional regulations would “unbalance a competitive level playing field”. 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 2020-22, Airbus appears to have mixed engagement with climate policy. Airbus communicated support for ICAO’s CORSIA offsetting scheme for aviation in its 2021 Annual Report, published in 2022. Airbus’ 2021 CDP response also disclosed support for ICAO’s CO2 standard for aircraft. However, in a 2020 US consultation response, Airbus appeared to qualify its support for the US CO2 standard with the exception that “Airbus does not believe the EPA should impose rules that are different from, or in excess of” ICAO’s standards.

Airbus appears to have positive engagement around an EU sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) blending mandate. A July 2021 Clean Skies for Tomorrow report, endorsed by Airbus, appeared to support an EU SAF mandate. In a September 2021 meeting with the EU Commission, obtained by InfluenceMap via 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.

Regarding the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), through their endorsement of CST’s October 2020 policy proposal, Airbus appeared to advocate for a delay in reforms to strengthen the EU ETS for aviation until after the COVID-19 recovery. More positively, a June 2020 public consultation response appeared supportive of an increase in the linear reduction factor, strengthening the emissions reduction potential of the EU ETS. Additionally, in a September 2021 email to DG MOVE, accessed via FOI request, Airbus appeared to support a higher carbon price.

In a February 2021 public consultation response on the Energy Efficiency Directive, Airbus appear supportive of increased ambition and binding sectoral targets, while supporting only indicative national targets. Airbus further appeared to support the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive in June 2021 and March 2021 EU public consultation responses.

Positioning on Energy Transition: In 2020-22, Airbus appears to have mixed engagement with measures to decarbonize aviation. A 2020 op-ed by Airbus CEO, Guillaume Faury, seemed to emphasize aviation’s environmental benefits over rail, and stressed that the “expectations of what rail can achieve exceed the current reality”. In a February 2021 presentation to the EU Commission Airbus urged the EU to support a fleet renewal scheme as part of the EU green stimulus, suggesting that such measures should be included in the EU Taxonomy. In communications with a UK parliamentary committee in September 2021, Airbus also 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. However, at the March 2022 A4E Aviation Summit, a Senior Executive appeared to support increased EU renewable energy targets and hydrogen infrastructure. In October 2021, Airbus published a joint letter with several other major aviation manufacturers, in which it broadly called for “appropriate regional policy mechanisms and positive incentives” that stimulate the production of SAFs and green hydrogen in the aviation sector.

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 is actively lobbying against ambitious climate policy for aviation in Europe.