A harmonized methodology for measuring the environmental impacts of SUPP and their alternatives in the airline sector is needed, as this would bring consistency to the industry’s efforts to assess environmental impacts. Although the scope of this guidance encompasses the three product categories (catering supplies, provision of items for the comfort of passengers, and cargo operations) mentioned in the “Reassessing single-use plastic products in the airline sector” report, the guidance can also be used to assess other products and can be applied to plastic or non-plastic items without modification.
The proposed guidance comprises information specifying the aim of the study and its intended audiences before moving on to the scope, functional units, and system boundaries. Then, it outlines the life cycle stages required for studies following the guidance with a rationale for their inclusion. The later sections cover data choice decisions, how to present the certainty of consequent results, and choosing appropriate impact categories. Finally, it outlines the ways to approach governing the quality and robustness of resulting studies while allowing for necessary scrutiny.
This survey aims to collect information from LCA practitioners and industry stakeholders who use LCAs to ensure the transparency, relevance, and effectiveness of this guidance. This process will help us strengthen the guidance by incorporating different perspectives, improving implementation, and aligning with best practices.
To allow for a fair and balanced review based on the information provided in this survey, we will only consider comments that include rationale, i.e., logical or evidenced reason for any position or opinion provided. Comments without a rationale will not be considered.
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Should you have any specific questions about the methodology used for the survey/LCA, please send a message to sustainability@iata.org.