Digital Technology, a true accelerator for sustainable aviation

A carbon-neutral aeronautics industry in 2050? This is a challenge that will transform a sector that is vital to the economy and mobility. Given its international dimension, its impact on employment and continuity of trade and tourism, the sector must succeed in its transition to reduce its environmental and social impact.
The challenge is even more difficult, as in the same time, air transport will increase by an average of 4.2% per annum over the next 20 years (IATA outlook for Air transport). 

On October 7, 2022, 193 member states of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) adopted the "net zero CO2" objective for 2050. In the framework of the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), a roadmap to achieve this goal, has been co-constructed by leading players in the aviation industry.  
This roadmap relies on major transformation axes mobilizing the entire value chain: 

• Deployment of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF)
• Development of new decarbonized aircraft as electric-, hybrid- and hydrogen-powered propulsion 
• Optimization of operations and infrastructure optimized trajectories, reduction of contrails or traffic decongestion.  
• The last lever, for remaining emissions, would be the instruments of market-based measures (MBMs), as CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation or the EU ETS (European Emissions Trading System). 

The aeronautics sector also must address the challenges of sustainability, such as the scarcity of resources, the noise pollution it generates, and the impact on biodiversity. So, it is building its new paradigm by transforming itself and adapting to climate change. 

Responsible digital technology for sustainable aviation

As a tech leader committed to sustainable digital technology, Sopra Steria is contributing to this collective dynamic and is convinced that digital technology plays a key role in accelerating sustainable aviation. The deployment of Aeroline SUSTAIN Programme across the Group demonstrates our commitment to this major transformation of the sector. 

Sustainable IT included in our digital solution development

Digital technology represents more than 5% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide and its share in global emissions is expected to increase by more than 45% by 2030 (source Ademe). The environmental footprint of digital technology must be taken into consideration in all projects. 

Sopra Steria places digital sustainability at the heart of the organizational model and make it a lever for excellence in the future. We develop ‘sustainable by design’ technological solutions, quantitatively assess their impact and transform the existing situation into a continuous improvement process.   

We support our client in the evaluation of their own IT impact and create their actionable roadmap with an holistic approach and quantified objectives. We deploy the strategy to reduce their impacts according to their priorities, as optimization of the life cycle of terminals, transformation of infrastructures, data rationalization… 

Our assets on sustainable IT for industrialization 

• Sustainable IT Platform: measurement and analysis of environmental impact of digital solution or information system, based on LCA methodology
• S4U: evaluation of carbon footprint of a mission: Top Down and Bottom-Up approach 
• Cloud Scanner: analysis of environmental impact of your AWS Instances usage in real time  
• Eco-design benchmarks: diagnosis of the eco-design maturity of the digital solution according to best practices and proposals for improvement solutions with a reduction of associated impacts 

Our expertise in tools and methodologies for measuring the environmental impact and eco-design of digital services, combined with a deep understanding of our customers' operating models, enables us to deliver sustainable solutions. 

Our offer is organized around 4 pillars : 

In the framework of our Aeroline SUSTAIN Programme, we are working with industry and strategic partners. Our experts are involved in ambitious sustainable projects and specialized ecosystems. They also develop value propositions via demonstrators, digital platforms and re-deployable tools. 

Our support for sustainable aviation 

We support the transition of the entire aviation value chain of the aeronautical industry :

• At OEMS
• At MROs
• In the operational ecosystem (Airports, Air Traffic Manager, Airline companies, Regulators) 
• And for the passenger experience (gate-to-gate and multimodal journeys)

Our main assets on sustainability

• AEROMAPS : ISAE-SUPAERO's tool for assessing the environmental impact of air transport and the efficiency or limitations of levers for decarbonizing the sector. We built the platform's new web interface to improve the user experience and make it accessible to decision-makers.
  
• EVAA : analysis of concept of operations, proposition of contrails avoidance and continuous Descent Operation (CDO) scenarios, for trajectory optimization.
  
• LCA :  measurement and quantification of the environmental impact of products and services along its life cycle and integration of environmental results into the solutions, as cost and performance constraints  
• Carbon planner: integration of carbon impact in industrial planification, based on SAP-SFM 

Our main customers on sustainability projects 

• Airbus
• Safran 
• Eurocontrol
• Aerospace Valley 

Our partnership with Academics to prepare the future

• ISA (Institute for Sustainable Aviation)
• ISAE SUPAERO 
• INSA Toulouse
  

Our goal is to position Sopra Steria and its Aeroline organization in structuring programs of sustainable aviation, to contribute actively to major R&T innovative projects (Horizon EU, Clean Aviation, SESAR etc.) and to international working groups IAEG (the International Aerospace Environmental Group), to put digitalization at the center of the levers impacting the aviation sustainability roadmaps, as Net Zero by 2050 trajectory.