Air NZ dumps 2030 carbon intensity reduction target

Tuesday, 30 July 2024

Domestic aviation emissions are 25% higher then they were before the pandemic, climate change expert Robert McLachlan said.

Air New Zealand has abandoned its carbon intensity reduction target for 2030 in a move a climate change expert has described as “disappointing”.

The national carrier announced on Tuesday morning that it would both drop the target and withdraw from the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a partnership between carbon disclosure charity CDP, the United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute, and the World Wide Fund for Nature.

The airline had planned to reduce absolute carbon emissions by 16.3% by 2030, from a 2019 baseline. That would have equated to a reduction in carbon intensity of 28.9%.

Air NZ chief executive Greg Foran said the availability of new aircraft and the availability and affordability of more sustainable jet fuels were to blame.

“In recent months, and more so in the last few weeks, it has also become apparent that potential delays to our fleet renewal plan pose an additional risk to the target’s achievability.

A Virgin Atlantic flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) has taken off from London's Heathrow Airport bound for New York. The flight is the first of its kind across the Atlantic and th...

“It is possible the airline may need to retain its existing fleet for longer than planned due to global manufacturing and supply chain issues that could potentially slow the introduction of newer, more fuel-efficient aircraft into the fleet.

“As such and given so many levers needed to meet the target are outside our control, the decision has been made to retract the 2030 target and withdraw from the SBTi network immediately.”

Robert McLachlan, a mathematics professor at Massey University who specialises in climate change, said it is “disappointing” the airline has withdrawn from the network less than two years after joining.

“To date, 31 airlines have signed up to this UN-backed initiative, the highest-profile and most-respected voluntary corporate climate initiative globally.

“Air NZ was world-leading when it joined SBTi in 2022… They will be the sixth airline to retract their 2030 target while others have set yet higher goals… I have to wonder if this damages the SBTi system itself.”

McLachlan said domestic aviation emissions are now 25% higher then they were before the Covid-19 pandemic and look set to increase further with airports planning to add capacity.

He noted that Air NZ upgraded its 2023 target for alternative aviation fuel from 10% to 20% as recently as March 2024, saying it would be required on some international routes in a few years.

NIWA climate scientist Sam Dean said Air NZ’s ability to cut emissions is strongly influenced by technological advances in aircraft and fuel, which are primarily driven by global trends and local and international policy settings.

“It is important that businesses like Air NZ are transparent with consumers, who in turn must recognise that flying is not currently a climate-friendly activity. The existence of long-term targets to achieve net-zero does not absolve us of responsibility for the choices we make today.”

Kevin Trenberth, a distinguished scholar at the US National Center for Atmospheric Research and an honorary academic at the University of Auckland, also agreed Air NZ’s targets are influenced by factors outside the airline’s control, but said alternative ways to cut emissions could be looked at.

“Reducing emissions from aircraft is a very tough thing to do. Having more fuel-efficient aircraft that are lighter and optimised for the cargo, including passengers, is an important strategy. The fuel use is difficult and main prospects are using biofuels, but those are expensive and limited in supply.”

Trenberth said that, in New Zealand, shipping is more effective than flying for bulk freight from a climate perspective, albeit slower.

“This is true even within New Zealand for coastal shipping. Trains can also play a role there. Again, there is a cost of a delay of a day or two, but mostly that should be manageable with a well-run system that is much better integrated (and where the inter-island ferries are reliable).”

Air NZ said it is considering setting a new near-term carbon emissions reduction target that it believes would better reflect aircraft and alternative fuel availability challenges.

Air NZ chair Dame Therese Walsh said the airline remains committed to reaching its 2050 net zero carbon emissions target.

“Our work to transition away from fossil fuels continues, as does our advocacy for the global and domestic regulatory and policy settings that will help facilitate Air New Zealand, and the wider aviation system in New Zealand, to do its part to mitigate climate change risks.”