CIFFA Forwarder Spring 2025

24 THE FORWARDER | SPRING 2025 TIACA-Media Day and Sustainability Highlights TIACA, the International Air Cargo Association, held its Media Day Feb 26 to present highlights of the year and some key highlights on sustainability. In response to air cargo industry’s call for an industry-specific tool to measure and recognize their sustainability progress, TIACA launched the BlueSky, a sustainability assessment, validatio and verification program to track their sustainability progress, benchmark against peers and accelerate industry’s transformation. The BlueSky Program is a tool for organizations aiming to benchmark and improve their environmental, social, and governance practices. The BlueSky Assessment Program can be taken as an individual organization, or as part of an airline community-based approach. BlueSky Certificate of Completion is valid for two years. TIACA has identified 8 Objectives on its dashboard results: 1. Decarbonization 2. Eliminate Waste 3. Protect Biodiversity 4. Support Economies In addition to the BlueSky Climate action program, once a year TIACA launches a sustainability survey. This year there were 274 respondents. Glyn Hughes, Director General, TIACA, discussed a few of the survey results on the Media Day call. In terms of company type, 49% of respondents were from large firms, 25% from medium firms and 26% from small firms. Europeans made up 39% of respondents, 27% from the Americas, 23% from Asia, and 11 % from the Middle East and Africa. Freight forwarders made up 81% of the respondents, with airlines 44%, airports 33% and ground handlers 22%. Carbon footprint and climate change are the main sustainability focus, with 95% of companies confirming that they are focusing on environmental matters, mostly linked to carbon footprint and climate change. Noted Hughes, “Environmental topics are crucial but we also need to focus on us as an industry, how to become more efficient, and to lead an inclusive and diverse workforce,” he said. Over the past 12 months however, 61 % of companies feel that the sustainability pressure has decreased. Sustainability still remains more important than it did in 2021. Hughes said that this is an alarming development. “Sustainability as a topic is one of the most crucial topics to enable this industry going forward,” Hughes said. What are the reasons cited by organizations for why sustainability is important? Some 71% of organizations indicate that sustainability is important because it is important for customers, 71% indicate that it is important for employees, 66% indicate that it is important for business customers, 57% because it is important for shareholders, 54% because it is important for the local community, and 50% because it is important for regulators. Air cargo industry respondents also indicated their top ESG priorities. The top ten identified are digitalization, innovation, continuous improvement and operational excellence, training and education, employee experience, business partner support, industry collaboration, energy consumption, diversity and inclusion, and local economies support and job creation. International Maritime Organization and FIATA During its 83rd session, scheduled for 7-11 April 2025, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) was set to approve the so-called “mid-term Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction measures”. These measures are part of the IMO’s net-zero framework, aimed at achieving the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction objectives outlined in the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships, thereby facilitating the international shipping industry’s transition to net-zero GHG emissions by or around, i.e. close to, 2050. The mid-term measures approved during the 83rd session are expected to be formally adopted in October 2025. The proposed “mid-term GHG reduction measures” include a goal-based marine fuel standard that will mandate Industry Updates - Sustainability A roundup of recent industry initiatives 5. Improve Lives 6. Improve Efficiencies 7. Attract Employees 8. Partnerships