The International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Environmental Operations Certification Program – IEnvA – is expanding its presence to Latin America, with the recent certification of GOL and LATAM Airlines. This development reinforces the industry’s commitment to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Meeting this ambitious goal requires a joint industry effort and certification programs are important part of this process, as they support stakeholders in the aviation value chain in defining and implementing concrete actions to enhance sustainability.
Developed by IATA, the voluntary IEnvA certification program independently assesses the commitment of aviation companies and institutions to improve their environmental and sustainable performance. Based on standards and best practices in compliance with ISO14001 (Environmental Management) requirements, IEnvA uses IATA’s experience with safety auditing (IOSA) for oversight, governance and quality control.
«GOL and LATAM obtaining their IEnvA certification shows the industry’s commitment to achieving net zero CO2 emission by 2050. IATA will continue to support the aviation eco system in this process by improving policies, practices and performance in different areas,» said Dany Oliveira, IATA’s Country Manager for Brazil.
According to Commander Sergio Quito, chairman of GOL’s Operational Safety Council, «after the conclusion of the audit process conducted by IATA representatives, we had our Environmental Management System completely revised: we have contracted well-defined environmental objectives and implemented governance similar to the practices used in Operational Safety management. This new level consolidates the values of Environmental Culture among GOL’s employees and other stakeholders, complying with the best international practices».
LATAM also reinforces the relevance of certification for the company’s operations. For Johanna Cabrera, Sustainability Manager at Latam, «we have advanced in our goal of being increasingly sustainable. In line with its commitment to the communities of the five countries where it operates in South America, LATAM has achieved certification in its nine operations in the region, including cargo and passenger operations in Brazil. This is a clear sign that we are on the right track. It is an independent certification that recognizes the efforts made to continue improving our environmental performance not only in our flights, but also in other highly relevant operational activities such as those we develop in our hangars, maintenance centers, among others».
