How Technology Partners Can Accelerate Aviation’s Sustainability Goals

Aviation’s sustainability challenge grows more complex every year.

Regulators are tightening expectations, corporate travel buyers are embedding sustainability into procurement, and travelers increasingly expect clarity around emissions. Airlines are working hard to cut their environmental impact, but the reality is clear: no single organization can drive this transition alone.

This week, Accelya was recognized by GBTA as an Emerging Leader in the Sustainability Acceleration Challenge. It’s an encouraging signal that the industry is beginning to look beyond aircraft and fuel technologies and toward the wider ecosystem that underpins aviation. Technology partners are a critical part of that ecosystem, and our role is changing rapidly.

The pressures are real – and rising

Global aviation-related CO₂ emissions reached an estimated 882 million metric tons in 2024, almost 8 percent higher than the previous year. Passenger volumes continue to grow. Corporate travel programs now require verifiable sustainability improvements. Regulators are demanding more transparency and higher-quality data across Scopes 1, 2, and 3.

Airlines are expected to demonstrate progress, not just intent, and that expectation extends deep into their supply chains. Technology providers are part of that accountability.

Why technology providers matter

Sustainable aviation is often framed around SAF, new aircraft, and engine technologies. These are essential long-term solutions, but they don’t address the operational and data challenges that airlines face today.

Technology partners can make a material impact by:

• Improving emissions measurement and reporting, particularly Scope 3 data that airlines increasingly need for regulatory and corporate reporting.
• Enhancing operational efficiency through better insight, automation, and intelligence.
• Creating more sustainable digital processes, reducing duplication, manual work, and system inefficiencies.
• Ensuring their own ESG performance holds up to scrutiny, so they strengthen rather than weaken an airline’s value chain.

This isn’t about technology for technology’s sake. It’s about enabling better decisions, cleaner operations, and more transparent reporting.

Leading by example

If technology providers want to be credible partners in sustainability, they need to demonstrate the same operational discipline they expect from airlines.

At Accelya, we took that responsibility seriously in FY24 when we formalized our ESG strategy and embedded sustainability into our broader operations. We continued to offset 100 percent of our annual carbon emissions and expanded our emissions reporting to strengthen accuracy across Scopes 1, 2, and 3. Our FY24 footprint was independently verified against the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064-3 standards.

Our Silver EcoVadis rating places us in the top 10 percent of companies on the platform. While ratings aren’t the end goal, they help demonstrate the level of transparency and accountability that technology providers should bring to the table.

Moving forward together

Sustainability has shifted from a “good to have” to a non-negotiable part of aviation’s future. Airlines cannot meet their commitments alone, and they shouldn’t be expected to. Technology partners have a meaningful role to play in reducing emissions, improving accuracy, and driving more efficient operations.

Recognition like GBTA’s Sustainability Acceleration Challenge is valuable, but real progress depends on day-to-day alignment across the value chain. The path ahead requires shared responsibility, transparent reporting, and a commitment to practical, measurable improvement.

Aviation’s transition will only succeed if every part of the ecosystem moves together. Technology partners must be part of that progress. And they must move with urgency.