“4AIR creates a new standard for sustainability in private aviation, giving those who own or fly on private aircraft the ability to address the environmental impacts of their flights,” said Kennedy Ricci, 4AIR’s president. “4AIR starts where other environmental programs end – with carbon neutrality – and continues on up to emission reductions and supporting the future of environmentally-friendly aviation. We don’t want to merely neutralize the impact of private aviation, but instead make it part of the solution for long-term sustainability.”

Nancy Bsales, 4AIR’s Chief Operating Officer, Sustainability, and a veteran of the effort to reduce carbon emissions, noted that “Aviation directly represents 2 percent of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, but the true impact on climate is closer to 5 percent when considering all emissions and non-CO2 impacts. The industry has made sweeping commitments to sustainability by 2050, and 4AIR’s programs can help private aviation participants to do their part.”

Through the 4AIR Rating – the first and only rating system focused on sustainability in private aviation – 4AIR offers benchmarks that are aligned with industrywide goals and consistent with international standards. The framework offers four levels, each with specific, science-based goals, independently verified results and progressively greater impacts on sustainability:

4AIR Bronze: Carbon-Neutral – Setting the Baseline

4AIR Bronze allows participants to be carbon-neutral by offsetting all of their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions with verified carbon offset credits. 4AIR measures a client’s carbon emissions and then enables them to identify and purchase credits that fund specific, verified, real-world projects intended to offset carbon emissions.

4AIR Silver: Emissions-Neutral – Because CO2 is Just One-Third of the Problem

Two-thirds of an aircraft’s environmental impact comes from non-carbon dioxide warming pollutants such as water vapor, soot and contrails. 4AIR Silver, truly innovative in the aviation sector, enables participants to be fully emissions-neutral, compensating for non-CO2 impacts with verified offsets.

4AIR Gold: Emissions Reduction – From Offsetting to True Reductions

4AIR Gold allows participants to go beyond emissions neutrality to actually reducing emissions by at least 5 percent. Solutions include operational improvements, low-emitting aircraft and – most readily today – the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Although the availability of SAF is still limited, participants can support its use by purchasing Sustainable Aviation Fuel credits through 4AIR.

4AIR Platinum: Climate Champion – The Aviation Climate Fund

4AIR Platinum allows participants to support new technology in aviation with a contribution to the Aviation Climate Fund, a nonprofit aimed at supporting research and development in aviation sustainability. Direct contributions to the Aviation Climate Fund are made based on the participant’s carbon footprint.

How 4AIR’s Process Works

Earning a 4AIR rating is as easy as a company or individual making a commitment to a specific level of the 4AIR framework: Pledging to become carbon-neutral; to become emission-neutral; to generate direct emissions reductions; or to become a Climate Champion. A 4AIR rating can be applied to existing sustainability efforts or offered as a turnkey full-service program.

At the end of the year, 4AIR certifies the accomplishments of each company or individual based upon relevant flight data (such as actual fuel consumption) in order to audit the previous year’s commitment and retire final carbon offset credits earned. Companies that achieve or surpass the level they committed would be eligible for the coming year.

“The keystones of 4AIR’s framework are progressive steps, transparent accomplishments, industrywide collaboration and global acceptance and recognition,” said Bsales. “Through a proprietary framework with ambitious goals, rigorous evaluation and full accountability, 4AIR’s process not only has effectiveness but also credibility with industry players. We look forward to setting a new standard for aviation sustainability.”

Kennedy Ricci and Nancy Bsales will appear on February 2, 2021 at the Corporate Jet Investor London 2021 Conference, addressing the topic “Making business aviation sustainable now and in the future.”