EBAA Young Ambassadors Launch Tier 1 of Sustainability Label S.T.A.R.S at EBACE2022

The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) and the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) highlight the official launch of the ambitious program called S.T.A.R.S. — Standards & Training for Aviation Responsibility and Sustainability — at the 2022 European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE2022) in Geneva, Switzerland.

S.T.A.R.S. has been initiated by young business-aviation professionals from half a dozen companies in Europe who want to take a holistic approach to sustainability, going beyond emissions reductions and extending the concept to include social topics such as workplace diversity, gender equality and inclusion.

“It’s very ambitious, what these young people have done,” says EBAA secretary-general, Athar Husain Khan, noting that sustainability in the broad sense is the biggest challenge facing business aviation today.

The pilot S.T.A.R.S. program in Europe is now underway, and early participants have devised a three-tier program of goal-setting, progress monitoring and full implementation, working toward the development and introduction of industry-wide sustainability standards and an accompanying label. Key to the program's accomplishment will be the linkage of the S.T.A.R.S. to the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) and the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH), two global codes of best practices produced by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC).

IBAC director general, Kurt Edwards, says, “We look forward to having the STARS sustainable and social practices connected to the premier industry standards for operations and ground handling, as these actions align with the ICAO Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This program will certainly contribute to a better future for business aviation and the communities we serve.”

At EBACE2022, the program’s participants will outline its schedule, which includes completion of the current pilot program by July, a progress audit in September and final feedback in October. Approximately 10 organizations may achieve full Tier 3 S.T.A.R.S. status by 2025.

For more information, visit ebaa.org/STARS.