IAEG: standardization of environmental requirements for aerospace industry gains momentum
SEVILLE, Spain, 13 March 2012. The International Aerospace Environmental Group (IAEG), formed in June 2011 with 11 founding members, will be joined during its first annual meeting by nine additional aerospace companies that have applied for membership.
"Our growing membership affirms that there's a significant need in the aerospace industry for voluntary consensus standards addressing issues such as chemical reporting requirements,” explains Christer Hellstrand, IAEG chairman and Boeing director of Environment, Health and Safety. “We formed this group to serve as a forum for aerospace companies and their suppliers to discuss and troubleshoot approaches to implementing environmental requirements."
The growth of environmental regulations has increased work and costs for the aerospace industry and its supply chain as it tries to support different chemical declarations and reporting requirements, says a spokesperson. The IAEG has formed workgroup tasked with developing a standardized approach that aerospace companies can use when requesting chemical information from suppliers.
At the IAEG annual meeting, members will hear about similar groups from different industries--including the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), the Electronics Industry Citizen Coalition (EICC), the railway association (UNIFE), and the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP). All have worked to drive down the complexity levied on their supply chain by buyers seeking to meet the differing environmental regulations in place around the globe.
"We are excited that these new members have joined forces with IAEG's founding members to work on offering a solution to the complexity and variability of the environmental information and requirements impacting the aerospace industry worldwide," says Bruno Costes, Ph.D., IAEG vice chairman and director of International Environmental Affairs at Airbus.
IAEG's eleven founding members are: Airbus and EADS, Boeing, Bombardier Aerospace, Dassault Aviation, Embraer, GE Aviation, Northrop Grumman, Rolls-Royce, SAFRAN, United Technologies Corp., and Zodiac Aerospace.
Courtney E. Howard | Chief Editor, Intelligent Aerospace
Courtney enjoys writing about all things high-tech in PennWell’s burgeoning Aerospace and Defense Group, which encompasses Intelligent Aerospace and Military & Aerospace Electronics. She’s also a self-proclaimed social-media maven, mil-aero nerd, and avid avionics and space geek. Connect with Courtney at [email protected], @coho on Twitter, on LinkedIn, and on Google+.