Embraer has announced ambitious new environmental, social and gvernance (ESG) targets, including a commitment to carbon neutral operations by 2040. The company has developed social responsibilities and environmental goals, which include offering an inclusive workplace for all employees and launching a zero-emission vehicle, all of which are integrated into the company’s corporate sustainability plan. The ESG goals are focused on helping to move both the company and the aviation industry forward.
Francisco Gomes Neto, President and CEO of Embraer said: “At Embraer, we recognise the urgency of the climate crisis and we are fully committed to a more sustainable future. We are stepping up our efforts to minimize our carbon footprint by remaining dedicated to innovating solutions that have a broader impact for our customers, our local communities, and our aircraft.”
“ESG is at the heart of Embraer’s purpose and that´s why we´ve included ESG as one of the pillars in our strategic plan ‘Fit for Growth’, aligning business strategy with social responsibility and environmental practices.”
To achieve the aviation industry´s goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, Embraer will develop a range of products, services, and sustainable technologies, including electrification, hybrid, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and other innovative energy alternatives. The company will also be offsetting any residual emissions that cannot be reduced through efficiency projects, available alternative energy or advancing technology.
The company’s plan has been aligned with the Paris Agreement goal to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and included the following commitments:
- Carbon Neutral operations by 2040
- 50 per cent reduction in net carbon emissions by 2040 from a 2018 baseline
- 100 per cent energy from renewable sources by 2030
- Begin using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by 2021
- Carbon neutral growth from 2022 (2021 baseline)
- Net Zero Aviation Emissions by 2050 (Scope 3) will be achieved by:
- Developing products, services, and disruptive sustainable technologies such as electrification, hybrid, SAF and other innovative energy alternatives
- Working together with suppliers to make our current aircraft compatible with the use of 100 per cent SAF
- Actively working with the supply chain to expand the global SAF production scale
- Continuously improving the efficiency of our current portfolio
- Launch zero-emission eVTOL aircraft by 2026
In the social arena, education will play a key part with the company promoting a knowledge ecosystem which will create access in local communities through key social programming and initiatives. These will positively impact society while attracting local talent. For the last two decades, Embraer has been a reference of corporate social responsibility in Brazil.
Embraer aims to achieve the following goals:
- To have 25 per cent of women in our in-company Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering programme by 2025
- Bring more than 80 per cent of the students from Embraer high schools to public universities
- Launch ´Social Tech´, a new programme focused on selecting 1,500 people from underrepresented groups in technology by 2025, to provide qualification training for tech-related job opportunities.
Carlos Alberto Griner, Embraer’s Vice President of People, ESG, and Communications said: “The demand for qualified professionals in the technology field is growing in the global job market; however, they are often not within the reach of underrepresented groups. With Social Tech, it is our hope to contribute to eliminating these social and economic barriers.”
Additional emphasis will be put on promoting social inclusion within the company. Embraer is committing to delivering and enhancing continuous diversity and inclusion training for 100 per cent of its leadership positions by 2021 and all employees by 2022. Embraer is continuing its diverse recruiting policy and committed to hiring 50 per cent diverse hires for entry-level employee programmes by 2025 and will increase the representation of women in senior leadership to 20 per cent by 2025.
During the virtual event to announce its ESG goals, Embraer reported progress in its initiatives in aeronautical electrification research, including the first flight of its all-electric demonstrator aircraft. The prototype uses an EMB-203 Ipanema and is performing flight tests at Embraer’s unit in Gavião Peixoto, Brazil, as part of a technological cooperation between Embraer and two of Brazil’s largest electric mobility solutions providers, WEG and EDP. The partnership has increased knowledge of the technologies that are needed to increase the energy efficiency of an aircraft, and the electric devices that must be integrated into an innovative propulsion system.
Executive Jets will use SAFs this year
Embraer also announced that Embraer Executive Jets, headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, is the company’s first industrial facility that will use Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) regularly by 2021, reinforcing business aviation’s strong commitment to the environment. SAF will be used in Embraer’s executive jets demonstration and production flights. Embraer is part of the Business Aviation Coalition for Sustainable Aviation Jet Fuel (SAF) launched in 2018 and has been promoting discussions on the path forward for the continued adoption of SAF in business aviation. The coalition has a goal of reducing emissions through investments and innovation.
Embraer also recently joined the Target True Zero initiative launched by the World Economic Forum (WEF) as part of the commitment to achieve zero-emissions aviation goals through new propulsion systems and fuel technologies. The initiative will identify ways to accelerate the deployment of zero-emissions aviation by leveraging electric and hydrogen technologies.
