Norwegian Air has launched a new environmental sustainability strategy, the key goals of which are to cut the airline's CO2 emissions by 45%, remove all non-recyclable plastics and recycle all single-use plastics.
Norwegian Air said that it is committed to improving the carbon efficiency of its operations and will reduce its carbon emissions by 45% per passenger kilometer (RPK) by 2030 compared to 2010 levels. The airline plans to achieve this through both fleet renewal and sustainable aviation fuels.
Norwegian Air also said that it is committed to utilising between 16% and 28% sustainable aviation fuels by the end of the decade, depending on the level of fleet renewal. This target amounts to up to 500 million litres of sustainable aviation fuels by 2030.
The airline added that the initial elements of its new sustainability strategy will also include a 100% reduction of non-recyclable plastics and 100% recycling of single-use plastics by 2023.
The Need To "A Strategy That Produces Immediate And Tangible Benefits"
Norwegian Air CEO Jacob Schram stated, "At Norwegian, we take our responsibility towards the environment seriously, and that is why we must look to the future and implement a strategy that produces immediate and tangible benefits for the environment today. Norwegian will continue to instigate a positive change across the industry in this field that will benefit not only the environment but also our customers and our business. The low-cost business model is the sustainability model as it enables efficient energy and resource management.
"We encourage producers to ramp up production of sustainable aviation fuels. Norwegian will be actively engaging with producers to kick-start this vital contribution to the industry and take advantage of the emission savings that these fuels offer."
Aiming To "Becomes The Customers' Sustainable Choice"
Meanwhile, Norwegian Air's head of environmental sustainability, Anders Fagernæs, commented, "More sustainable and smarter options are becoming a greater part of the considerations that customers make when choosing which airline to fly with. We will champion this attitude and become the customers' sustainable choice by reducing and recycling plastic waste, promoting sustainable aviation fuel and continuing to fly one of the world's youngest fleets to achieve a 45% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2030."
© 2020 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
