Cirium EmeraldSky
Revolutionizing aviation's path to net zero emissions
The persistent rise in carbon dioxide (CO2) and greenhouse gas emissions has prompted stricter regulations and reporting requirements for both EU and non-EU organizations. With air travel playing a significant role in exacerbating global climate change, a more precise means of emissions tracking is needed for the travel sector to comply with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting and rules.
2.5%
Approximate contribution to global carbon emission by aviation industry
When non-CO2 emissions, like water vapor and nitrogen oxides (NOx), are included, this figure is closer to 3.5% of total climate impact from the burning of fossil fuels in aircraft engines.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
Andrew Doyle, Senior Director of Market Development at Cirium
Andrew Doyle, Senior Director of Market Development at Cirium
“It's impossible for the sector to take meaningful action to control Scope 3 emissions for air travel without accurate data. That’s why we developed EmeraldSky, the only methodology that fully accounts for the efficiency attributes of a specific aircraft, actual air and taxi minutes, and even the floor space occupied by an individual seat.”
Aviation’s Net Zero challenge
The aviation industry faces challenges in aligning with stringent climate regulations and reducing greenhouse gas emissions while fulfilling business objectives. Its reliance on carbon-intensive kerosene and the limited availability of sustainable aviation fuels are problematic. Technological advancements are being explored, such as more fuel-efficient engines, lighter materials, and electric or hybrid aircraft, but widespread implementation will take decades and substantial investment.
The historical absence of a precise measurement system for CO2 at both flight and aircraft levels hampers efforts to accurately reflect real-world operations. The current CO2 measurement approaches fail to consider the specific aircraft used and the actual fuel burned – the most reliable indicators of flight emissions. With increasing global regulations demanding more transparent and accurate reporting, airlines and businesses struggle to present their emissions data consistently, leading to perceptions of bias and accusations of greenwashing by regulatory bodies and the public. The dual focus on environmental stewardship and business viability demands innovative solutions and a proactive approach to address the complex dynamics of aviation's net zero journey.
Solutions must involve collaboration among all players in the sector and include setting ambitious targets for emission reductions, investing in research and development of cleaner technologies, and implementing policies that encourage the adoption of sustainable practices across the sector. Only through coordinated efforts can the impact of air travel and transportation on the climate be effectively mitigated. Collaboration must start with an accurate and independent measure of CO2 emissions from air travel.
The EmeraldSky journey
As the world’s most trusted name in aviation analytics, Cirium, part of LexisNexis Risk Solutions, a RELX business, has set itself on a mission to assist the industry in achieving its net zero objectives. At the heart of this mission is the development of EmeraldSky, a groundbreaking system that combines exclusive data sets with advanced fuel burn methodologies. This innovative platform provides an independent measure of CO2 emissions, free from the influence of airlines, and serves the needs of all aviation stakeholders from air travel buyers to the airlines themselves, and everyone in between, including aircraft manufacturers, airports, air financiers, fuel suppliers, and the aviation aftermarket.
EmeraldSky’s development spanned years of extensive research and validation with industry stakeholders.
The proof-of-concept utilized detailed flight, fleet, and traffic data, integrating a sophisticated fuel burn methodology tailored for the aerospace industry. This methodology accurately estimated fuel consumption, considering variables such as aircraft age, engine type, winglets, tarmac time, load factor, and flight duration.
Cirium validated this approach with airlines like American Airlines and Virgin Atlantic, as well as industry stakeholders such as Zurich Insurance, demonstrating accuracy within 1% of actual airline fuel burn and emissions models. This validation allowed Cirium to transform the methodology into a foundational dataset, encompassing both historical and forward-looking CO2 emissions data at the flight, seat, and cargo levels. Cirium's unique approach ensures that the system is based on actual flown data down to seconds monitored by phases of flight, offering unparalleled accuracy.
Cirium collaborated with RELX to develop the RELX CO2 Hub, which tracks company business travel emissions down to the individual employee level. They also partnered with Zurich Insurance to create a proof-of-concept for tracking, measuring, and reporting corporate travel emissions.
- Cirium's data scientists and software engineers successfully integrated EmeraldSky into premier solutions such as the Ascend Fleets Analyzer and Asset Watch, providing significant advantages for the air finance and aerospace markets.
- Cirium Sky Emissions APIs and Warehouse facilitated seamless machine-to-machine integration of extensive flight emissions data, optimizing enterprise applications.
- Through Cirium Blu, the company’s expert data services team, Cirium developed bespoke flight emission tools like the Global Emissions Monitor, enhancing corporations' ability to improve Scope 3 emission reporting and meet regulatory compliance requirements.
- RELX selected Cirium as its exclusive provider for monitoring and measuring Scope 3 flight emissions generated from their purchased business air travel, following an external audit by EY.
- EmeraldSky is the sole commercially available CO2 flight emissions tool for corporate travel and air finance grounded in actual flight operational data.
- Cirium obtains accreditation as a qualified data provider by Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) under the Pegasus Guidelines, the first climate-aligned finance framework tailored for the aviation industry. Crafted to guide banks and financial institutions, these guidelines aim to harmonize investment choices with decarbonization goals.
"EmeraldSky's crucial role in addressing climate change is recognized across the aviation industry, prompting Cirium to consistently incorporate it into our analytics portfolio."
EmeraldSky enables the aviation industry to accurately monitor and report flight emissions, enhancing business operations through compliance and transparency. EmeraldSky empowers airlines, airports, air finance, fuel and energy, as well as the aerospace sectors, to make informed decisions, fostering smarter travel practices and improved reporting, leading to reduced emissions. As Cirium leads with EmeraldSky, the sector can advance towards a sustainable future, benefiting businesses, the industry, and the planet.
Cirium is taking its analytics solutions to the next level by partnering with RouteZero, a trailblazer in helping companies decarbonize business travel. Together, they're empowering corporations to reduce emissions, embrace low-carbon journeys, and institutionalize sustainable practices – all while traveling more to fuel business growth.
Built with Shorthand