Air New Zealand has laid out a clear plan to achieve its goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, outlining the action it will take over the next decades to improve its sustainability.
Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran said “despite the Covid-19 pandemic grinding our business to halt, we believe climate change is the biggest crisis facing our airline. And, if anything, our commitment to take real action has only strengthened.
“It has never been more important for airlines to take bold steps to ramp up the pace and scale of genuine climate action. We want our customers to know that not only do we have a clear plan, but we already have multiple runs on the board on our journey to becoming a more sustainable airline”
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The airline’s 2021 Sustainability Report lays out the airline’s path to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, with four main levers to reduce gross emissions as much as technology will allow before utilizing offsetting:
- Zero emissions aircraft
- Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)
- Operational efficiency (for example, efficiencies from flight planning)
- Fleet renewal
The airline said that by far the biggest contribution to decarbonization will come from the airline accessing SAF.
The airline’s Sustainability Report outlines good progress made this year, including taking steps towards making SAF a reality in New Zealand. In July Air New Zealand signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment to determine the feasibility of producing SAF in New Zealand.
Air New Zealand is also working with aircraft manufacturers including Airbus as it looks to hasten the arrival of zero-emissions aircraft. The report states the airline is pursuing opportunities around electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft as an option for shorter domestic and regional flights, with ambitions to have electric aircraft in its fleet by 2030.
“Air travel is critical to New Zealand’s export and tourism industries, connecting people and products to the world, and the world to us. But this isn’t an excuse to do nothing – it underlines why climate change action is so critical and why we need to get this right. This is why we’re prepared to take ambitious action to decarbonize,” Mr. Foran said.
“We don’t believe our customers will have to choose between flying with us and doing what’s right for the planet”.
Air New Zealand said that it is also announcing a new Sustainability Framework which is focused on taking bold and genuine action as “we aspire to lead the aviation industry globally in sustainability and decarbonization.”
The framework has four key focus areas:
- Caring for New Zealanders
- Genuine climate action
- Driving towards a circular economy
- Sustainable Tourism
Other highlights from the Sustainability Report include:
