Climate change Which airlines are the most environmentally friendly?

[Maciamo]

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has estimated that aviation is responsible for around 3.5 percent of anthropogenic climate change. That may not seem much, but it's important to tackle global warming on every front as the situation has been deteriorating really fast over the last 10 years with no sign of abating. The best way to limit CO2 emissions from commercial airlines is of course not to fly. But that is not always an option, and it driving in a non-electric car is not always better, especially when travelling alone. There is no reasonable alternative to flying in the case of intercontinental travel. What we can do to mitigate a bit our carbon footprint is to choose airlines that actively try to limit their CO2 emissions. In order to do that I have selected five indices that assess just that.

The most important of the five is the Atmosfair Airline Index (2018), which assesses the carbon efficiency of 190 airlines short, medium and long distance flights. Aircraft exhaust gases contain additional pollutants besides CO2. Those other pollutants are converted to CO2 equivalent emissions using the absolute global warming potential (AGWP) approach. The CO2 efficiency depends among others of the use of efficient types of aircraft, as well as passenger/cargo occupancy and seating/cargo capacity. I took the overall score for each airline and gave it twice the weight of other indices as this is the only index that calculate the actual CO2 emissions.

The Transition Pathway Initiative (TPI) assesses companies’ preparedness for the transition to a low-carbon economy, supporting efforts to address climate change. Companies are rated on 19 factors relating to their policies, targets, reports to fight climate change. Airlines either pass or fail each criteria. I multiplied the number of passed criteria by 5 to get a maximum score of 95.

The S&P Global ESG (2019) assesses company's overall sustainability with regard to economic, environmental, and social factors. S&P (Standard & Poor's) is a New York-based company specialised in corporate ratings.

The CSRHub provides ratings of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) using 12 indicators of employee, environment, community and governance performance. CSRHub is a B Corporation based in New York.

CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) is an organisation based in the UK which supports companies and cities to disclose the environmental impact of major corporations, in this case only for climate change as scores for water security and forestry are irrelevant to the aviation industry. Scores are for 2019 or the latest year available.

[TABLE="class: grid, width: 0"]
[TR]
[TD]Company[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]Atmosfair[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]TPI[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]S&P Global[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]CSRHub[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]CDP[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]TOTAL[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]TUI Airways[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]79.3[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"]89[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]95[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]85.65[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Finnair[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]64.4[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"]99[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]80[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]76.95[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]KLM Royal Dutch Airlines[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]68.9[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]77.5[/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD="align: center"]99[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]60[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]74.86[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Iberia[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]65[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]87.5[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"]76[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]80[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]74.7[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]LATAM Airlines[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]78.8[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]47.5[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]75[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]85[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"]73.02[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]ANA[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]58.4[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]77.5[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]78[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]84[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]80[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]72.72[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Cathay Pacific[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]61.8[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"]84[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]80[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]71.90[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Air New Zealand[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]70.5[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"]86[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]60[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]71.75[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Air France[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]54.5[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]77.5[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]81[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]99[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]60[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]71.08[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]British Airways[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]54.4[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]87.5[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"]76[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]80[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]70.46[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Delta Airlines[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]61.8[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]77.5[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]55[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]59[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]95[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]68.35[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Lufthansa[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]56.9[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]67.5[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]55[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]83[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]80[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]66.55[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]SAS Scandinavian Airlines[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]53.4[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"]97[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]60[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]65.95[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]China Airlines[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]51.4[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"]77[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]63[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]80[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]64.56[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Qantas Airways[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]61.4[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]67.5[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]29[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]67[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]100[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]64.38[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Japan Airlines[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]63.9[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]47.5[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]56[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]67[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]80[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]63.05[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]United Airlines[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]60.4[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]87.5[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]27[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]47[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]95[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]62.88[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Aeroflot[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]56.4[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"]91[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]40[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]60.95[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]American Airlines[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]58.7[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]47.5[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]30[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]67[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]75[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]56.15[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Singapore Airlines[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]56.5[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]37.5[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]24[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]74[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]75[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]53.92[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Air Canada[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]65.6[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"]25[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]51[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]60[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]53.44[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]EVA Airways[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]53.2[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"]22[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]58[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]80[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]53.28[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Korean Air[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]55.9[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]37.5[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"]47[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]60[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]51.26[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Air China[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]63.1[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]17.5[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]20[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]64[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"]45.54[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]China Southern Airlines[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]60.3[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]17.5[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]14[/TD]
[TD="align: center"]54[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: center"]41.22[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


Low-cost airlines do not get a percentage score in the Atmosfair Index, but are ranked by category. In Europe Norwegian, Ryanair and Transavia obtained a B grade (corresponding to a score of 78 or above), which only the British charter TUI Airways and the South American LATAM Airlines got among regular airlines. No airline managed an A grade yet. On the other hand, Ryanair got abysmal scores from S&P Global and CSRHub.

 

[Maciamo]

Airline ranking: only 10 airlines have serious plans to transition to green fuels

"Half the airlines in the ranking score zero for their insufficient uptake of sustainable aviation fuels. But a large part of the blame lies with oil companies, who are not investing in the transition to green kerosene. The EU needs to prioritise the uptake of e-fuels for planes in its upcoming Clean Industrial Deal package, green group Transport & Environment (T&E) says.

87% of airlines are failing in the transition to sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), a new ranking by T&E shows. Only 10 out of 77 airlines are making noteworthy efforts to switch to truly sustainable alternatives to fossil kerosene[1]. The remaining 67 are either buying too little SAF, the wrong kind of SAF, or are not considering SAFs at all in their decarbonisation plans. The top three airlines in the ranking are Air France-KLM, United Airlines and Norwegian, receiving high points for committing to e-kerosene or advanced and waste biofuels. Not only are airlines doing too little when it comes to SAF, but many of them are not doing anything - raising serious questions about their ability to address their climate impact, T&E warns.

Not all SAFs are equally sustainable. E-kerosene - a fuel made from renewable electricity - is the most sustainable and scalable type of SAF. In contrast, SAF derived from biomass (biofuels) vary greatly in sustainability and scalability. SAFs made from food or feed crops (e.g. corn) are not sustainable at all. In the ranking, airlines were awarded points for SAF and e-kerosene targets and for committing to e-kerosene via offtake agreements, letters of intent and memorandums of understanding.

Currently, most of the airlines ranked are using the wrong type of SAF. E-kerosene makes up less than 10% of airlines’ SAF agreements, while unsustainable crop-based biofuels made from corn grains and soy oil account for more than 30%. Airlines need to do more to push fuel producers to prioritise the right types of feedstocks, T&E says."

I asked chatGPT to provide the list of the 10 airlines making substantial progress toward sustainable alternatives to fossil kerosene by adopting Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) or other innovative solutions. Here are 10 notable airlines leading these efforts:

1. **United Airlines** - One of the pioneers, it has been using SAF since 2016 and completed the first 100% SAF flight in 2021. United is also involved in scaling SAF production.

2. **Virgin Atlantic** - Recently completed the first transatlantic flight entirely powered by SAF in November 2023.

3. **Lufthansa Group** - Among the largest SAF users globally, Lufthansa heavily invests in SAF derived from biogenic residues like used cooking oils.

4. **KLM (Air France-KLM Group)** - Conducts SAF-powered test flights and collaborates with producers like Neste, aiming to integrate SAF more broadly.

5. **Delta Air Lines** - Contracts for SAF supply and aims to use SAF for 10% of its fuel needs by 2030.

6. **American Airlines** - Committed to purchasing 500 million gallons of SAF over the next five years.

7. **Emirates** - Conducted successful tests on SAF-powered flights and is exploring policy changes to encourage SAF adoption.

8. **Singapore Airlines** - Incorporates SAF in its flights and participates in government initiatives to mandate SAF usage.

9. **Qantas Airways** - Plans to transition to SAF-based fuels for a substantial portion of its operations.

10. **British Airways** - Partners with sustainable fuel companies and has announced plans for significant SAF adoption.

These airlines are pushing the aviation sector towards net-zero emissions by 2050, but challenges like high costs and limited SAF availability remain significant hurdles.