The global representative body for the airline industry, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), has announced that it is increasing the accuracy of its soon-to-be-launched cargo aviation carbon emissions calculation tool, IATA CO2 Connect for Cargo, through collaborations with two new partners, namely British Airways (BA) and Microsoft. The announcement was made at the IATA World Sustainability Symposium, being held in Miami, in the US state of Florida.

“Strong relationships, including those announced [Wednesday] with British Airways and Microsoft, will help make IATA CO2 Connect for Cargo a more powerful and more accurate tool,” affirmed IATA senior VP sustainability and chief economist Marie Owens Thomsen. “The world is watching as aviation progresses on the challenging journey of decarbonisation. Transparency and accuracy – enhanced by these partnerships – are critical. Our common aim is to have the most accurate data about aviation’s carbon emissions. That will help the industry’s customers in managing and reporting their carbon footprints and it will inform the many strategic decisions that airlines will need to make for their own decarbonisation.”

BA would contribute flight-level fuel-burn data, from its approximately 700 flights every day, to the tool. Microsoft, which already had a relationship with BA, will provide technical guidance for the development of IATA CO2 Connect for Cargo, and will be one of the early pilot testers of the tool. 

“At [BA], transparency and consistency are essential to our sustainability efforts,” highlighted BA sustainability director Carrie Harris. “By sharing our flight-level fuel burn data with IATA CO2 Connect, we’re enhancing the accuracy of CO₂ emissions calculations and ensuring access to reliable, clear, information. It’s crucial for the entire industry to align on these standards, and collaboration is key.”

“Industry collaboration is essential for the decarbonisation of aviation,” pointed out Microsoft Cloud logistics sustainability director Nico De Golia. “Using CO2 Connect for Cargo will help Microsoft work with airlines to reduce emissions, make informed upstream investments with our partners, and purchase SAF [sustainable aviation fuel] and SAF certificates. This announcement showcases the potential impact when companies work to build a strong data foundation, driving the key actions needed to achieve our shared sustainability goals.”

IATA CO2 Connect for Cargo has been developed using the experience gained from the IATA CO2 Connect tool for consistent carbon emissions calculation for passenger flights, which was launched in June 2022 (BA already contributed daily data to CO2 Connect). IATA CO2 Connect for Cargo, which is being developed with the aid of the Smart Freight Centre, will be launched during the first quarter of next year.