Beginning on 1 February 2020, ANA Holdings (‘ANA HD’) will begin a programme that reduces its use of single-use plastics inside its cabins and lounges. Plastic items such as straws, stirring sticks and cutlery used in these areas will be replaced with eco-friendly bioplastic or paper straws, while the new stirring sticks and cutlery will be made of wood.
This announcement forms part of ANA HD’s adoption of the monitoring, reporting, verification (MRV) emission mitigation approach for the global airline industry on 1 January 2019. Developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and ratified at the ICAO General Assembly in 2016, these approaches are collectively known as the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). Under the scheme, ANA HD will work with environmental experts to develop plans on how best to reduce single-use plastics, mitigate climate change and address illegal wildlife trafficking.
Ito Yutaka, EVP of ANA HD stated, “We have already made significant stride in our efforts to make ANA HD a more sustainable company, and reducing the use of plastics is another crucial step that we can take to keep moving forward. Protecting our shared home is central to ANA HD’s vision of a better-connected world and we will continue looking for opportunities to make our products and services more eco-friendly.”
In addition to reducing the use of plastics, ANA HD has already made what it calls “significant strides” in the implementation of sustainable aircraft fuel. The airline has collaborated with LanzaTech to develop more effective biofuels. Furthermore, as of March 2019, 75.9% of the ANA Group fleet consists of fuel-efficient aircraft models.
ANA HD’s first comprehensive environmental action plan dates back to 1998, when it published its ‘ANA Group Environmental Principles’ employee guidelines. In order to address the environmental challenges from a more global perspective, in 2012 ANA HD created “ANA Fly Eco 2020” a mid- to long-term environmental plan targeting significant gains by 2020. ANA HD says it is on track to meet these goals and will continue looking for ways to advance sustainable business practices.
