Our Path to Sustainability
We aim to connect people to a more sustainable future of travel. Achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 for our airline operations is our ultimate goal. But the global aviation industry is a hard-to-abate sector, meaning it is innately difficult to decarbonize. Our multi-pronged approach focuses on improving the efficiency of our fleet, innovating aircraft operations, and increasing the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to reduce our emissions.
In the short term, we are working to transition to a more fuel-efficient fleet and enhancing operational efficiency. Longer-term efforts include replacing a growing proportion of traditional jet fuel with SAF and collaborating with innovators to revolutionize aviation.
Our commitment to sustainability extends beyond our flight operations. We are working to reduce waste and offer more sustainable products to our customers, to minimize the environmental impact of our ground operations, and to engage our supply chain in these efforts.
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is a key lever to decarbonizing flight, reducing lifecycle emissions from jet fuel by up to 80%. We aim to procure over 400 million gallons of SAF annually by the end of 2030, supporting our goal of 10% SAF utilization. In 2023, we saved a cumulative 21 million gallons of fuel compared to 2019 through measures such as enhanced flight routing, aircraft enhancements and onboard efficiencies.
We focus on building our fleet to improve fuel efficiency over time by upgauging our planes and replacing retiring aircraft with more fuel efficient next-gen models. In 2023, we took delivery of 43 aircraft that were, on average, 28% more fuel efficient per seat mile than aircraft retired since 2019. As we continue this journey, we are partnering with aviation innovators that will forge the path for the next century of flight.
Launched in januari 2023, the Delta Sustainable Skies Lab is a first-of-its-kind airline innovation lab focusing on research, design and testing to catalyze progress toward our climate goals. The Lab features ongoing work across Delta with the aim of helping to inspire and support disruptive industry innovation and scale known technology and actions to help reach Delta’s 2050 net-zero emissions goal.
Reducing waste and incorporating more products that are recyclable or biodegradable onboard our aircraft can help us reduce our environmental impact, enhance the customer experience, and improve our operations. To reduce plastic waste, in 2023, we began onboard testing of new paper cups, aiming to help eliminate nearly 7 million pounds of single-use plastics onboard annually once fully scaled across our flights.
Commitment to Transparency
Our 2023 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report offers the latest data and insight into our efforts to advance our purpose of connecting people with opportunity while expanding the understanding of the planet and the people within it.
View our 2023 ESG Report and 2023 ESG Report Highlights
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Reports
Opmerking: Delta has been publishing annual Corporate Responsibility Reports (CRRs) since 2009. To request prior reports, a CRR prior to 2018, please contact sustainability@delta.com
Delta’s progress toward its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 is included in its most recent ESG Report, including information regarding its net-zero emissions goals, how emissions are calculated, how progress toward the net-zero emissions goal is measured, and third-party verification of emissions calculations.