Alessandra Badino
Head of Sustainability and Environment UK, Airbus
The aerospace industry needs sustainability-minded individuals who can help it function responsibly and ethically for the environment and society.
Alessandra Badino has always had a passion for sustainability. “Nature is a place where I regenerate and improve my wellbeing,” she says. “I’ve been conscious of environmental issues for a long time.”
Sustainability strategy and ethical practices at work
Badino is now the UK Head of Sustainability and Environment at aerospace corporation Airbus, ensuring that the organisation functions responsibly and ethically with regard to the environment and society. This involves delivering on Airbus’ sustainability approach, which is built around: valuing people, respecting the planet and enabling prosperity.
Badino started with Airbus in 2001 as an aerospace engineering graduate and has worked in various roles — from aerodynamics design, performance and wing testing to business development. “I’m often asked why I’ve stayed with the company for such a long time,” she says. “I love to learn and constantly challenge myself, developing different skills to keep motivated and interested. Airbus provides plenty of opportunities for that.”
Sustainability is not a fashionable topic for us — it’s the right thing to do, and it’s here to stay.
Everyone contributes to sustainability efforts
While decarbonising aviation is one of the company’s priorities, Badino stresses that it’s also committed to reducing its overall environmental footprint — reducing energy consumption and waste on sites and taking a nose-to-tail approach to recycling our end-of-service aircraft.
“Everyone in the organisation has a part to play,” she says. “That includes the wing designers who deliver new technological solutions to improve aerodynamic and weight efficiency — to the engineers working on new fuel systems and ensuring all our products are capable of flying with 100% sustainable aviation fuel.
“We also need procurement professionals to conduct assessments on potential human rights, safety or environment risks in the supply chain and finance colleagues to develop new business models that incorporate an assessment of environmental impact in our decision-making process.”
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Building a workforce with sustainability goals
Badino takes her work seriously. “Sustainability is not a fashionable topic for us — it’s the right thing to do, and it’s here to stay,” she says. She insists that anyone looking for a career with a sustainability focus should consider the aerospace industry.
“Sustainability is firmly embedded in our corporate strategy; it is at the core of everything we do,” she says. “New entrants will find there is a sustainability element to any role they take or any skill they develop.
“While we believe that aerospace is an essential part of our lives, we are aware of our responsibility to society and future generations. We welcome people with different views and backgrounds who can make a unique contribution to that goal. It’s only by working together that we can achieve real change.”