Sustainability: From Rhetoric to Action in the Aviation Industry
Sustainability in aviation is no longer a distant ideal—it’s a critical priority that could determine the future of the entire industry. This was the resounding message shared in a recent episode of Academia de Guvernanță, a project developed by Envisia – Boards of Elite in partnership with Profit.ro, where Anca Apahidean, IATA’s Director for Eastern Europe, and Carmen Micu, CEO and Founding Member Envisia, explored why boards must move sustainability from rhetoric to concrete action if they want their companies to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.
Though aviation contributes just 2–2.5% of global carbon emissions, the industry is under intense scrutiny due to its visibility and impact on the environment. “Aviation is about much more than moving people and goods,” Apahidean noted. “It supports global economic development, but it also carries an environmental cost that can no longer be ignored.” The net-zero target by 2050 is now more than a goal—it’s the industry’s “licence to survive,” she stressed, particularly in Eastern Europe, where older fleets and limited resources make this challenge even more formidable.
Apahidean’s research, part of her studies in the Master of Arts in Board Practice and Directorship at Henley Business School (offered in partnership with Envisia), focused on the CEO-board relationship in achieving net-zero goals across five Central and Eastern European airlines. Her findings highlight the tension between immediate survival and long-term environmental responsibility—a tension that boards must learn to navigate carefully.
Achieving net-zero in aviation requires a comprehensive approach, Apahidean said, pointing to five clear roadmap pillars. The biggest factor? Sustainable aviation fuel, which is projected to contribute nearly 65% of the sector’s emissions reductions. “We already have aircraft that can safely fly with up to 50% sustainable fuel,” she added, noting that pilot flights have proven its feasibility. Other key pillars include technological innovation, improved airspace and ground infrastructure, and crucially, supportive public policy and financing mechanisms.
Carmen Micu brought the conversation back to the heart of governance. She argued that, at the board level, sustainability still lacks the strategic weight it deserves. “We’re often reporting just for the sake of reporting,” she said, pointing to the prevalence of greenwashing and the gap between declared commitments and real impact. Micu noted that sustainability is still seen as a vague concept in many organizations, rather than a measurable, actionable priority.
Micu drew a contrast with Western Europe, where sustainability is already integrated into board agendas as a tangible, measurable reality. “In Romania and across Eastern Europe, we’re working to bring sustainability to the forefront of board and executive discussions, turning it from a nice word into something real,” she said. Clear objectives, strategic investment, and systematic measurement are crucial to making sustainability a living part of corporate governance, not just a fashionable concept.
She also emphasized that airline boards must see themselves as co-creators in this sustainability journey. “Their role is to oversee how management develops the policies and procedures needed to monitor and control sustainability,” she explained. In doing so, boards become a vital driver of progress, ensuring that the net-zero commitments aren’t just aspirations—but real pathways to future-proofing the industry.
Ultimately, as both Apahidean and Micu agree, sustainability isn’t optional for aviation—it’s existential. And for boards of directors, turning that existential necessity into a concrete strategy is the only way forward in a sector that connects the world—and must now protect it too.
Follow the entire discussion HERE.
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