Bombardier Global 7500 receives industry-first Environmental Product Declaration

Global 7500

This year has brought a number of firsts for the industry and Tuesday (June 30th) was no different as Bombardier’s Global 7500 became the first business jet to receive an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD). The move “embodies Bombardier’s commitment both to the environment and to the sustainable advancement of the aviation industry”, said David Coleal, President, Bombardier Aviation.

The International Environmental Product Declaration System, an environmental declaration programme based in Sweden, published the EPD for the Global 7500 and is verified to the highest international ISO standards. It discloses fully transparent environmental information about the product’s life cycle, such as CO2 emissions, noise, water consumption and other environmental impact indicators. Furthermore, Bombardier has pledged to share the the environmental performance of all new aircraft programmes through EPDs.

Sebastiaan Stiller, The International EPD System, said: “We are proud to collaborate with Bombardier in its effort to provide full transparency about the environmental performance of its Global 7500 jet from a life cycle perspective. With the publication of the first business jet EPD in our system, Bombardier is striving to provide customers and stakeholders with the full environmental picture. The EPD is third-party verified and complies with the globally accepted ISO standards – ISO 14025 and related – for type III environmental declarations.”

Comprehensive environmental footprint

The Bombardier Eco-Design team applied its product innovation life cycle process throughout the development of the Global 7500 aircraft to minimise the jet’s impact on the environment, from the design and manufacture of the aircraft to end-of-life. The Global 7500 aircraft is the first business jet conceived with this approach.

Coleal continued: “We are thrilled to offer a comprehensive environmental footprint and performance overview of the Global 7500 aircraft throughout its life cycle. By making this information available to our stakeholders, including operators, this EPD supports the business aviation industry’s broader approach to fight climate change through clear, transparent goals and associated multi-pronged plans that encompass technology and sustainable fuels.”

According to Bombardier, the publication of the Global 7500 EPD is an important milestone in the advancement of the Canadian OEM’s overarching environmental strategy, which includes increasing the adoption of Sustainable Alternative Fuels (SAF), reducing CO2 footprint, enhancing aircraft recyclability, and sustainably sourcing.

Environmental sustainability will be at the forefront

The EPD attainment may come as little surprise given Coleal’s position as chairman of GAMA’s Environmental Committee. Rolland Vincent, Rolland Vincent Associates, told Corporate Jet Investor: “Environmental sustainability will be at the forefront of our industry’s image going forwards – I think that David Coleal and Bombardier’s Board of Directors should be given credit for demonstrating leadership in pursuing sustainability as a key Bombardier Aviation objective.”

On the EPD itself, Vincent said: “The report provides excellent baseline data on the aircraft’s environmental footprint throughout the product life cycle. I did not notice many comparisons that would help in an understanding of how the Global 7500 compares with other aircraft or modes of transport, but perhaps that was not the purpose of the document. I was surprised to note that the LCA was conducted over a 50,000 hour assumed life, which is several multiples higher than I would expect such an aircraft to fly before it is retired.”

Kurt Edwards, IBAC Director General, said, “This is an unprecedented accomplishment by Bombardier and demonstrates their exceptional commitment to sustainability. As an IBAC Industry Partner, Bombardier is a global industry leader on environmental matters and has always been a key supporter of IBAC’s environmental efforts, including the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Coalition. Bombardier has joined us in leading initiatives over the last few years to inform business aircraft operators of the availability of SAF and its importance to meeting the industry’s long-term goal to reduce its carbon emissions.”