Airlines are signing on to the most ambitious carbon neutral environmental initiatives in industry history, possibly leading the way for other industries and corporations to do the same.
Earlier this month United Airlines pledged to become 100 percent carbon neutral by reducing greenhouse gas emissions completely by 2050. Following that move Uber, Rivian, JetBlue, Cabify, and Boom Supersonic signed The Climate Pledge to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Accord 10 years early.
UAL Unstoppable
United will meet this ambitious goal by making industry-leading investments in new technology and sustainable fuels – not from buying carbon offsets.
It’s the first airline to make a multimillion-dollar investment in revolutionary atmospheric carbon capture technology that is expected to capture and store millions of metric tons of CO2 per year. The revolutionary atmospheric carbon capture technology to be used by UAL is known as Direct Air Capture and the technology will be used in addition to continuing to invest in the development and use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
“These game-changing technologies will significantly reduce our emissions, and measurably reduce the speed of climate change – because buying carbon offsets alone is just not enough. Perhaps most importantly, we’re not just doing it to meet our own sustainability goal; we’re doing it to drive the positive change our entire industry requires so that every airline can eventually join us and do the same,” said Scott Kirby, United’s chief executive officer, in an announcement.
United intends to make a multimillion-dollar investment in 1PointFive, Inc., a partnership between Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, a subsidiary of Occidental (NYSE:OXY), and Rusheen Capital Management. 1PointFive’s mission is to curb the rise in global temperatures by physically removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air using Direct Air Capture technology licensed from Carbon Engineering.
Direct Air Capture technology is one of the few proven ways to physically correct for aircraft emissions, and can scale to capture millions and potentially billions of metric tons of CO2 per year. The captured CO2 will then be permanently, safely and securely stored deep underground by Occidental, a process certified by independent third parties. A single plant is expected to capture and permanently sequester one million tons of CO2 each year, the equivalent of the work of 40 million trees, but covering a land area about 3,000 times smaller.
In an added measure, United last year renewed its contract with Boston-based World Energy, agreeing to purchase up to 10 million gallons of cost-competitive SAF. United has been using this SAF to power every flight departing its Los Angeles hub since 2016. United has also invested more than $30 million in California-based sustainable fuel producer Fulcrum BioEnergy, which remains the single largest investment by any airline globally in a sustainable fuel producer.
-26 million passengers on flights powered with a SAF blend
-44 billion passenger-miles on flights powered with a SAF blend
-215,000 flights powered with a SAF blend
In other measures United edging toward its carbon-neutral goals by 2050 by:
- Becoming the first airline to fly with Boeing’s Split Scimitar winglets, which reduce fuel consumption by an additional 2 percent versus standard winglets; United is the largest Scimitar winglet operator today, with nearly 400 aircraft equipped with these winglets
- Becoming the first U.S. airline to repurpose items from the carrier’s international premium cabin amenity kits and partnering with Clean the World to donate hygiene products to those in critical need
- Eliminating non-recyclable plastic stirring sticks and cocktail picks on aircraft and replacing them with a more environmentally friendly product made of 100 percent bamboo
- Continuing to replace its eligible ground equipment with cleaner, electrically powered alternatives, with nearly 45 percent of the fleet converted to date
UAL Pandemic Pivots
In an unrelated move that is an advancement in contactless travel demands, United passengers will soon have access to virtual, on demand customer service at the airline’s hubs, giving people an easy, contact-free option to get real-time information and support. Customers can access “Agent on Demand” on any mobile device to call, text or video chat live with an agent and get answers on everything from seat assignments to boarding times. Agent on Demand is currently available at Chicago O’Hare and Houston’s George Bush International Airports and is rolling out to United’s hubs by end of year.
While research, including a recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Defense, shows COVID-19 exposure risk on board United aircraft is almost zero due to the airline’s advanced air filtration systems, mandated mask policy and diligent cleaning protocols, United is moving a step further with a new “agent on demand” app for contactless travel.
“We know how important it is for our customers to have more options for a contactless travel experience and this tool makes it easy to quickly receive personalized support directly from a live agent at the airport while maintaining social distancing,” said Linda Jojo, United’s Executive Vice President for Technology and Chief Digital Officer. “Agent on Demand allows customers to bypass waiting in line at the gate and seamlessly connect with customer service agents from their mobile device, ensuring they continue to receive the highest levels of service while also prioritizing their health and safety.”
Here’s how it works:
Customers can scan a QR code displayed on signage throughout United’s hub airports, or access the platform through self-service kiosks at select gate areas at Chicago O’Hare and Denver International Airports. From there, customers will be connected to an agent by phone, chat or video, based on their preference. Customers can ask any question they would typically direct to a gate agent, including questions on seat assignments, upgrades, standby list, flight status, rebooking and more. Agent on Demand provides an extra level of convenience to customers, who can now easily connect with an agent while anywhere in the airport instead of waiting in a line at the gate. Additionally, translation functionality is integrated in the chat function allowing customers to communicate with agents in more than 100 languages. Customers can type in their preferred language and the messages will be automatically transcribed in English for the agents and in the selected language for the customer.
The Mandating of a Movement
Meanwhile, as the pandemic rages other leaders in transportation operations and technology are finding the time to sign onto their own list of climate change-mitigation commitments. Signatories to The Climate Pledge agree to:
- Measure and report greenhouse gas emissions on a regular basis
- Implement decarbonization strategies in line with the Paris Agreement through real business changes and innovations, including efficiency improvements, renewable energy, materials reductions, and other carbon-emission elimination strategies
- Neutralize any remaining emissions with additional, quantifiable, real, permanent, and socially beneficial offsets to achieve net-zero annual carbon emissions by 2040.
“By signing The Climate Pledge, companies around the world are making a bold commitment to help protect our planet from the devastating impacts of climate change,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. “The transportation sector plays a critical role in accelerating our carbon reduction goals, and we welcome Boom, Cabify, JetBlue, Rivian, and Uber as they join us on the journey to net-zero carbon by 2040. The 18 companies who have signed The Climate Pledge so far are demonstrating leadership in the vital transition to a low-carbon economy that will help preserve the environment for future generations.”
Boom is redefining commercial flight by bringing supersonic travel back to the skies. Boom’s historic airliner, Overture, is designed to industry-leading standards of speed, safety, and sustainability. In February 2020, the company announced that the test program for its XB-1 demonstrator will be carbon neutral, through the use of sustainable aviation fuels and high-quality, vetted carbon offsetting. Boom has also committed to making Overture a net-zero carbon aircraft in development, testing, and operation.
Cabify is the first and only urban mobility app in Europe and Latin America to be carbon neutral by offsetting 100 percent of all the carbon emissions that it generates. Cabify is also closely measuring and reducing emissions for its corporate activity and aiming to electrify its transportation fleet in Spain and Latin America—by 2025 and 2030, respectively—to reduce its carbon emissions. The company is focused on increasing environmental protections and promoting renewable energies by working on large-scale efforts in Chile, Peru and Brazil using solutions like blockchain technology for carbon offsetting.
JetBlue is the first airline to join The Climate Pledge, and this reaffirms the company’s commitment to taking measurable steps towards reducing its climate impact. In July 2020, JetBlue became the first and only U.S. airline to achieve carbon neutrality for all domestic flights. It now expects to ramp up to over 7 million metric tons of CO2 emissions offset each year—the annual equivalent of removing more than 1.5 million passenger vehicles from the road. The company began flying regularly out of San Francisco International Airport in July 2020 using a type of a sustainable aviation fuel, which enables up to an 80 percent reduction in CO2 emissions before being blended with traditional jet fuel.
“The climate crisis remains one of the biggest threats facing our industry. Our planet is physically changing, as are the expectations of our customers, crewmembers, and investors. Now is the time to rebuild operations in more sustainable ways, such as adopting sustainable aviation fuel and setting clear strategies to reduce net aviation CO2 emissions,” said Robin Hayes, JetBlue CEO.
Uber has committed to become a fully zero-emission platform by 2040, with 100 percent of rides taking place in zero-emission vehicles, on public transit, or with micromobility options such as bikes and scooters. Uber had previously set a goal to provide 100 percent of rides in electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030 in U.S., Canadian, and European cities. Uber has also committed to reach net-zero emissions from its corporate operations by 2030. To reach these goals, Uber is expanding Uber Green to make it easier for riders to choose to travel in hybrids or EVs; dedicating $800 million in resources to help hundreds of thousands of drivers transition to EVs by 2025; investing in our multimodal network to provide sustainable alternatives to personal cars; and being transparent and accountable to the public along the way.
“As we announced in September, Uber is taking this moment as an opportunity to drive a green recovery from the pandemic,” said Dara Khosrowshahi, Uber CEO. “We invite every company in the world to join The Climate Pledge and take action to reduce their environmental impact. Together we can more aggressively tackle the urgent challenge of climate change.”
“The Paris Agreement set out a unifying roadmap for all countries and all people to address the climate crisis by taking action,” said Christiana Figueres, the UN’s former climate change chief and Global Optimism’s founding partner. “By joining The Climate Pledge, signatories are not just making a statement of commitment to the future, they also are setting a pathway to significant actions and investments that will create jobs, spur innovation, regenerate the natural environment, and help consumers to buy more sustainable products.”
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