The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has launched a “call for evidence” on what type of environmental information should be provided to airline passengers when they are searching and booking flights.
The CAA points out that while some travel organisations provide environmental data, there is currently no “standard approach to what information is provided, how it is calculated and how it is displayed”.
The regulator is now asking the aviation and wider travel sector - along with consumer groups, environmental organisations and others - for their views on what environmental data should be provided for flights, as well as how to ensure that it is “clear, comparable and enables people to make informed choices about their travel options”.
Nic Stevenson, head of strategy at the CAA, said: “Better understanding the most effective type, format and communication of environmental information will help us achieve the goal of supporting the government’s net zero aviation target.
“I encourage everyone to help inform the way passengers are provided access to accurate and relevant information about the environmental impact of their flights. That information plays a key role in regard to the choices consumers make, and providing trustworthy data enables more sustainable choices.”
The standardisation of environmental data from travel, particularly around key factors such as carbon emissions, has become a big issue in corporate travel, with organisations such as BT4Europe calling for “standardised, accurate and comparable” data.
The CAA’s call for evidence, which runs until 7 April 2023, is part of the UK government’s Jet Zero strategy which has set the goal of achieving net zero aviation by 2050. The call for evidence can be accessed through this link.