Air New Zealand: Our Ambitious Green Goal Isn't Doable

In 2022, Air New Zealand set a goal to slash its emissions by almost 29% by 2030—a lofty goal that far outpaced the 5% figure the global aviation industry was targeting by the end of the decade. This week, the airline said it was throwing in the towel on that plan, citing delivery delays and challenges in obtaining the jet fuel it needs to do so. More:

• Noteworthy: The BBC reports that Air New Zealand becomes "the first major carrier to back away from such a climate target," though the airline says it has a new short-term target in the works and its still on board with the industry's goal of getting to net-zero emissions by 2050.
• From the CEO: Greg Foran explained in a statement that "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."
• The fuel challenge: The BBC reports the transition to Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) is seen as a linchpin of the emissions-reduction plan, but the cost of the fuels remains elevated while production remains somewhat limited. Quartz cites the International Air Transport Association's estimate that global jet fuel demand will hit 99 billion gallons this year; it says SAF made just 3% of all renewable fuels produced last year.
• The industry's impact: Aviation accounted for about 2% of the world's emissions in 2022. But Reuters notes it is seen as one of the toughest industries to decarbonize "as fuel for flights cannot be easily replaced with other kinds of power."

(More Air New Zealand stories.)