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Air New Zealand has published its first 2030 Emissions Guidance this week, and says it expects to reduce net “well-to-wake” greenhouse gas emissions from jet fuel by 20 to 25 per cent by 2030, from a 2019 baseline. This new approach replaces the airline’s 2030 Science Based Target which it withdrew from in 2024.
The new 2030 Emissions Guidance aims to provide a regular and transparent assessment of Air New Zealand’s progress towards its 2050 net-zero carbon emissions target. The Emissions Guidance will be updated annually in August in the airline’s Climate Statement.
Each update will reflect the airline’s expected net emissions by 2030 based on detailed modelling of its decarbonisation progress, external market conditions, and global and domestic policy developments.
Chief sustainability and corporate affairs officer Kiri Hannifin says Air New Zealand is acutely aware of aviation’s impact on the climate and nature, and is committed to high levels of transparency in a rapidly evolving environment.
“Air New Zealand remains committed to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and we are taking practical steps today towards achieving that ambition. Having a comprehensive and annually updated outlook of our emissions trajectory to 2030, and a clear understanding of how we can get there, is a critical stepping stone.
“Rather than setting an emissions target that remains static, regular emissions guidance will give our investors and customers an up-to-date and clear view of our expected emissions trajectory, including the impact from external risks and opportunities. The reality of decarbonising an industry like aviation is there is uncertainty and are many factors we have limited control over, such as the availability of sustainable aviation fuel at reasonable prices. Many of our assumptions are evolving rapidly.
“We hope there may be opportunities to move faster as new technologies and the SAF industry grows, so our 2030 emissions guidance could be updated to reflect any upside as well,” says Kiri.
In developing the 2030 Emissions Guidance, Air New Zealand has undertaken a thorough analysis of the airline’s specific circumstances, external environment, and key decarbonisation levers:
·Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF): increasing use as global mandates, supply and affordability scale.
·Fleet and network optimisation: implementing the airline’s fleet and network plan, including continued fleet renewal to replace older aircraft with more fuel-efficient aircraft.
·Operational efficiency improvements: improving fuel efficiency through technology and best practice.
·Carbon credits: using carbon credits to meet international regulatory requirements (specifically CORSIA, the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation), and to a lesser extent using high integrity carbon removals.
·There are no anticipated decarbonisation impacts from Next Generation Aircraft in the period to 2030.
The 2030 Emissions Guidance is integrated with the airline’s long-term fleet and network plan through to 2030 and will be updated in August each year as part of its Climate Statement.
