Aircraft simulation technology manufacturer and training provider CAE has pledged to become carbon-free before mid-2020.

The announcement was made at the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations (CORIM).

In order to achieve this goal, the company is planning to offset its live training flights fuel emissions and energy used at its facilities worldwide and employees’ business air travel.

CAE chief executive officer president Marc Parent said: “I am happy to make the commitment that CAE will become carbon-neutral by next summer.

“We want to do our share in the fight against climate change for the wellbeing of future generations. In addition to preventing hundreds of thousands of tons of CO2 being emitted each year by training more than 135,000 pilots in simulators, we will offset our live training fuel emissions, business air travel and energy other than electricity by funding greenhouse gas reduction projects.

“We will also compensate for our electricity consumption by buying renewable energy certificates, which support renewable electricity development.”

As part of the transitional measures, CAE will stick to carbon offsetting and renewable energy certificates for new technologies and solutions to monitor emissions.

The company also has plans to move away from fuel-based to electric aircraft for live flight training in its academies.

Additionally, CAE will undertake measures to reduce its overall emissions such as investing in energy-efficient flight simulators.

Earlier this month, CAE acquired a 50% stake in privately owned learning institute SIMCOM Holdings for $85m. SIMCOM operates 47 simulators and flight training devices.