Voluntary Programs - 4AIR Ratings
Voluntary Aviation Sustainability Programs
Four Levels Of Commitment To Make Your Flying More Sustainable
Each commitment level is setup as a turnkey solution that can be applied down to a flight hour or gallon of fuel – a ready-made sustainability program that anyone can apply to their flying. Select a level, provide the scope of flights or aircraft to be covered, and 4AIR will handle the rest. We make sustainability simple and turnkey with our full-service program.
LEVEL 1:
Bronze Carbon Neutral
The first step in taking environmental action is understanding and measuring your environmental impact.
A carbon offset is a verified reduction in emissions of carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases made in order to compensate for emissions made elsewhere.
Offsets can come from a variety of projects including those that support renewable energy, avoid deforestation, reduce energy use, or sequester carbon through nature-based solutions.
Level One requires a 100% offset of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
LEVEL 2:
Silver Emissions Neutral
Carbon neutral is just the beginning, but CO2 alone accounts for only one-third the impact of flying. Two-thirds of the impact of flying comes from non-CO2 warming pollutants in aviation, such as water vapor, aerosols, and nitrogen oxides (NOx).
Comprehensive emissions offsetting considers this impact and, based on radiative forcing indexes, offsets 300% of the CO2 impact to account for aviation’s full warming impact.
Level Two requires a 300% carbon offset to comprehensively offset emissions.
LEVEL 3:
Gold Beyond Neutral
Carbon offsetting is designed to help us in the short run, but we need to continue work to reduce emissions in the long run.
Emissions reductions can be achieved through operational changes, buying new aircraft, or most prominently through Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
SAF is Jet Fuel (certified under the same standard, ASTM D1655) that is made from sustainable, non-fossil sources, reusing carbon already in the atmosphere.
Level Three involves a minimum 5% direct emissions reduction.
LEVEL 4:
Platinum Climate Champion
In order to meet broader global sustainability goals, we need truly innovative technologies like electric aircraft and cleaner fuels.
The 4AIR Aviation Climate Fund writes grants and investments to university research to support new technologies aimed at reducing emissions in aviation. The fund easily allows individuals and companies to participate in this leading-edge research and help shape the future of aviation.
Level Four involves a direct investment in new technology or a contribution to the Aviation Climate Fund.
Already working on your own sustainability efforts? Reach out to 4AIR to get your existing efforts audited and receive a level rating validation that provides internal and external legitimacy to your program.
Example Mission
How do the 4AIR levels work? Let’s look at an example. If you’re flying in a super mid-size jet from Teterboro to Palm Beach, that’s an estimated 2 hours and 46 minutes of travel time, generating 7 tons of CO2.
To offset the carbon emissions of this flight — a Level 1 Carbon Neutral commitment — you would need to offset 7 tons of CO2. This would be coordinated by reducing or removing the equivalent amount (7 tons of CO2) from the atmosphere elsewhere through a project such as supporting a wind or solar farm, directly capturing carbon from the air and storing it, or purchasing efficient cookstoves to replace the burning of coal or wood over open fires. 4AIR is uniquely positioned to procure high-integrity, verified offsets at a large scale.
But carbon is just one kind of emission created by an airplane. To fully offset all the emissions your flight produces (including water vapor, aerosols and nitrogen oxides) we look at what the carbon equivalent is for all emissions. This is equal to 21 tons of CO2e for this flight, so a Level 2 Emissions Neutral commitment entails procuring carbon credits to cover this amount.
If you’d like to go one step further with your sustainability commitment, you can choose Level 3 Beyond Neutral to support a 5% direct emissions reduction (1.1 tons CO2e) through the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for this flight, as well as purchasing carbon credits to offset the remaining 19.9 tons of CO2-equivalent emissions.
At the highest level, a commitment at Level 4 Platinum would entail all the previous commitments, as well as a $210 direct contribution to the Aviation Climate Fund to support research to develop new technologies that reduce emissions in aviation.
KTEB -> KPBI in a Super Mid-Size Jet
ETE: 2 hours and 46 minutes
Estimated Commitment:
Level 1: Offset 7 tonnes of CO2
Level 2: Offset 21 tonnes of CO2e
Level 3: Direct reduction of 1.1 tonnes CO2e through use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)
Level 4: $42 contribution to the Aviation Climate Fund (ACF)
Already working on your own sustainability efforts? Reach out to 4AIR to get your existing efforts audited and a stamp of approval that provides internal and external legitimacy to your program.