The Latest on Delta Air Lines' Sustainability Efforts

In a recently released Environmental, Social and Governance report, Delta Air Lines says it took meaningful steps in 2023 toward achieving its operational goal of net-zero emissions.

The airline said that it accelerated efforts last year to deliver more sustainable travel experiences that are “good for the planet, communities, and businesses,” and emphasized that its long-term strategy is to decarbonize its airline operations and value chain by 2050.

Some of the steps Delta Air Lines says it took toward achieving that goal in 2023 include:

• Saving a cumulative 21 million gallons in fuel driven by Delta’s Carbon Council through initiatives including optimizing routing and speed, reducing the weight on flights, and working with air traffic control authorities to find more efficient flight paths.
• Taking delivery of 3.5 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel, more than double the amount from 2022.
• Engaging in meaningful advocacy in support of policies at the state and federal levels that will incentivize production and kickstart investment in a robust SAF industry, including launching the first of its kind Minnesota SAF Hub as an anchor member in coordination with Greater MSP to collaborate across the SAF value chain to drive investment and production.
• Becoming a founding member of Americans for Clean Aviation Fuels, the first national SAF coalition focused on promoting the economic benefits of a robust domestic SAF market with a goal of spurring supportive SAF policies.
• Launching a paper cup trial on board which, once rolled out across the operation, is expected to drive a reduction of an additional 7 million pounds of single-use-plastics.

“Our sustainability strategy embraces short-, medium- and long-term milestones to guide what we fly, how we fly and the fuel we use,” Amelia DeLuca, Delta’s chief sustainability officer, said in a statement.

The sustainability update was part of a larger report that also provided updates on the carrier’s safety and equity efforts.

Highlights from the Delta's equity efforts include:

• Continuing to increase representation of women, Black, and Latin/Hispanic talent across the company through what the airline has dubbed its “Close the Gap” strategy.
• In 2023, Delta hosted 55 students from 13 historically Black colleges and universities to its global headquarters for a “From the Yard to Delta Boulevard,” event, which the airline describes as an immersive, two-day experience that included the opportunity to interview for summer internships at Delta.
• Training nearly 80 percent of Delta officers and senior leaders in a two-day Racial Equity Workshop focused on understanding systemic issues and finding ways to disrupt them.

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