Aviation supporting the sustainable development goals

Geneva, 3 October 2017 – The Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) today released a new report at its Global Sustainable Aviation Summit, taking place in Geneva. Flying in Formation is a guide for the air transport industry to help understand the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in an aviation context.

ATAG Executive Director, Michael Gill said: “We hope Flying in Formation will provide ideas for how companies and partners across the sector can build the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their own corporate strategies. Whilst the SDGs are developed by and for governments, there are a number of reasons why companies also need to respond.

“Following the SDGs makes good business sense. Businesses thrive in societies with healthy, prosperous and stable populations, clear rules of engagement and open borders. Governments will also increasingly make legislation and regulations that follow the themes of the SDGs, particularly in emerging and developing economies. And the SDGs provide a very convenient template for a business to look at its own sustainability agenda.

Gill said that companies do not need to initiate actions for all 17 SDGs when shaping their strategy, but they should at least consider them: “Whilst there are actions being undertaken across all 17 SDGs by partners in the industry, we certainly have a major global influence in seven of them and at least some influence in a further eight. The leadership role industry is showing on climate change should be used as a model for industry action in other areas. We are a unique sector that has the power to effectively transform the world through partnerships and collaboration.

The report can be downloaded at www.aviationbenefits.org/SDGs. It looks at the importance of the SDGs, how aviation is already working to help deliver the SDGs already and some ideas for how air transport companies and governments can further that opportunity.