-- Preparing for a New Climate Reality, JetBlue
Begins Offsetting Emissions for All Domestic Flights and Investing
in Sustainable Aviation Fuel, Significantly Reducing its
Contribution to the Climate Crisis --
-- Recognizing the Critical Role Renewable Fuel
Options Will Play in the Aviation Industry’s Transition to
Lower-Carbon Operations, JetBlue Starts Flying with Neste’s
Sustainable Aviation Fuel on Flights from San Francisco --
JetBlue (Nasdaq: JBLU) today announced it has followed through
on its commitment to go carbon neutral on all domestic flights.
Earlier this year, JetBlue became the first major U.S. airline to
commit to this critical and measurable step toward reducing its
contribution to global warming, and is now the first U.S. airline
to achieve carbon neutrality on all domestic flying.
On July 1, the airline began offsetting its carbon dioxide
emissions (CO2) from jet fuel for all domestic JetBlue-operated
flights. JetBlue views carbon offsetting as a bridge to other
industry-wide environmental improvements like fuel with lower
emissions. Therefore, JetBlue is also investing in sustainable
aviation fuel (SAF) and to start, the airline is fueling flights
from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) with SAF.
Carbon neutrality is just one way JetBlue is preparing for a
changing climate and ensuring a more sustainable business for its
crewmembers, customers, shareholders and communities. JetBlue’s
carbon reduction strategy focuses on reducing emissions in the
first place. This includes investments to shrink its impact through
fuel-saving technologies and aircraft, and advocating for a more
fuel-efficient air traffic control system. JetBlue has achieved
reductions in emissions on an intensity basis since 2015, and most
recently improved 2.2 percent per available seat mile (ASM) from
2018 to 2019. Offsetting all remaining emissions from domestic
flights and investing in SAF will help JetBlue move toward the
lower-carbon economy for which aviation and all sectors must
plan.
“The global pandemic reinforces the need to mitigate risks that
threaten the health of our business. Our commitment to
sustainability has only become more important as we prepare our
business for a new climate reality,” said Joanna Geraghty,
president and chief operating officer, JetBlue. “Even with a long
recovery ahead following the COVID-19 pandemic, JetBlue remains
focused on short- and long-term environmental opportunities,
particularly lessening our largest impact – carbon emissions – and
more fuel efficient flying.”
Offsetting emissions from all domestic flights
Since 2008, JetBlue has been offsetting CO2 emissions from jet
fuel with programs to balance customer flying, including a month of
carbon neutral flying network-wide in 2015 and again in 2019.
Offsetting all domestic flying expands those efforts in a bigger
and more impactful way. Prior to this announcement, JetBlue had
already offset more than 2.6 billion pounds of CO2 emissions in
partnership with CarbonFund.org Foundation—a leading U.S. based
nonprofit carbon reduction and climate solutions organization.
JetBlue’s new carbon offsetting partners include two experts in
climate solutions and carbon offsetting – South Pole and EcoAct, in
addition to Carbonfund.org.
JetBlue will offset all emissions from jet fuel for domestic
routes and expects to ramp up to offset 15-17 billion pounds (7 to
8 million metric tons) of CO2 emissions each year – the annual
equivalent of removing more than 1.5 million passenger vehicles
from the road.
As part of its offsetting program, JetBlue selects projects
around the globe that will balance the emissions from its jet fuel.
Many projects operate in developed countries where a bigger
community impact can be made. Emissions reduction projects reduce
the amount of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere in at least one of
three ways – avoiding greenhouse gas emissions in favor of
renewable sources, removing emissions from the atmosphere, and
destroying emissions when possible.
JetBlue’s sustainable aviation fuel program begins on flights
from San Francisco
JetBlue has started purchasing and flying on sustainable
aviation fuel (SAF) from Neste, the world’s third most sustainable
company and the largest producer of renewable diesel and SAF made
from waste and residue materials, starting in July 2020 for flights
from San Francisco International Airport (SFO). Neste’s SAF will
contribute to JetBlue’s efforts to reach its climate goals,
providing an immediate reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from
any aircraft using the fuel.
“Neste is proud to be supplying and working with JetBlue, an
airline with a strong track record of sustainability leadership,"
says Chris Cooper, Vice President for Renewable Aviation at Neste
North America. "We are bringing additional SAF production capacity
online and stand ready to provide JetBlue with even more of this
low-emission, high-quality fuel to help them achieve carbon neutral
growth. Our work with JetBlue is sending a clear signal to anyone
wondering what the future of air travel is - it will be
lower-emission, it will be more sustainable, and it will be
increasingly powered by SAF.”
Neste is now successfully delivering SAF to SFO via pipeline, a
milestone the airport has called a “climate quantum leap”. Once
Neste’s SAF enters SFO’s fuel consortium storage, it is available
to the commercial, cargo or business aviation entities that operate
at the airport. JetBlue was a first mover in adopting Neste’s SAF
at SFO, recently taking delivery of the fuel at the airport. With
agreements like this, JetBlue is helping to kick-start the SAF
market by improving the economics and increasing the use of these
lower carbon fuels.
Neste’s SAF is produced from 100 percent renewable and
sustainably sourced waste and residue materials. Over the lifecycle
and in neat form, it has up to 80 percent smaller carbon footprint
compared to fossil jet fuel whilst also emitting less particulate
matter, SOX, and other pollutants. The fuel is shipped via the fuel
pipeline, and is fully compatible with the existing jet engine
technology and fuel distribution infrastructure when blended with
fossil jet fuel. Safety is JetBlue’s number one priority, and the
fuel is used alongside regular fuel without any changes in safety
or impact.
How carbon offsetting works – When projects that reduce
CO₂ emissions are developed, every ton of emissions reduced results
in the creation of one carbon offset or carbon credit. A carbon
credit is a tradeable certificate that represents the avoidance or
removal of one ton of carbon dioxide emissions. Buying carbon
credits means investing in emission reduction projects that require
carbon offsets financing in order to take place (a.).
JetBlue will support carbon offsets projects focused on but not
limited to:
- Landfill Gas Capture (LFG): Landfill gas is a natural
byproduct of the decomposition of organic material in landfills.
Instead of escaping into the air, LFG can be captured, converted
and used as a renewable energy resource. LFG energy projects
generate revenue and create jobs in the local community and
beyond.
- Solar/Wind: These projects develop expansive solar and
wind farms, generating power that otherwise would have been
supplied by fossil fuels like coal, diesel and furnace oil. These
projects also create jobs and revenues for local communities.
- Forestry: Forest conservation projects prevent
deforestation by helping voluntarily forego plans that would have
converted forests for other purposes, while having additional
co-benefits for communities and local wildlife.
All of JetBlue’s purchased carbon offsets are audited, verified
and retired on the airline’s behalf. These projects are audited to
confirm the carbon reductions are permanent and ongoing. The sale
of carbon offsets help to finance the projects. (b.)
JetBlue’s focus on climate leadership – JetBlue’s
environmental social governance (ESG) strategy focuses on issues
that have the potential to impact its business and the industry in
the long-term. Customers, crewmembers and community, as well as
stakeholders, are key to JetBlue's climate and sustainability
strategy. Demand from these groups for responsible service is one
of the motivations to further reduce the airline’s environmental
impact. Shareholders, including many crewmembers, have demanded
that JetBlue’s ESG strategy benefit stakeholders and the airline’s
financial position. Tying ESG to its treasury function, including
cash investments and a sustainability-linked loan with some terms
dependent on the airline’s ESG scores, further demonstrates
JetBlue’s commitment to combat climate change.
Carbon offsetting is just one example of how JetBlue is
mitigating its contribution to climate change in response to public
and market demand. JetBlue’s 2019 Environmental Social Governance
(ESG) Report identifies key sustainability factors that affect the
airline’s business and financial performance. For more information,
visit jetblue.com/sustainability.
About JetBlue
JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline®, and a leading carrier
in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles, Orlando, and San
Juan. JetBlue carries customers across the U.S., Caribbean, and
Latin America. For more information, visit jetblue.com.
About Neste:
Neste (NESTE, Nasdaq Helsinki) creates sustainable solutions for
transport, business, and consumer needs. Our wide range of
renewable products enable our customers to reduce climate
emissions. We are the world's largest producer of renewable diesel
refined from waste and residues, introducing renewable solutions
also to the aviation and plastics industries. We are also a
technologically advanced refiner of high-quality oil products. We
want to be a reliable partner with widely valued expertise,
research, and sustainable operations. In 2019, Neste's revenue
stood at EUR 15.8 billion. In 2020, Neste placed 3rd on the Global
100 list of the most sustainable companies in the world. Learn more
about Neste and its mission to fight climate change at Neste.com.
Follow Neste on twitter: @Neste_NA and on LinkedIn.
(a.)
Sourced with permission
from www.southpole.com/carbon-offsets-explained
(b.)
Carbon Offsets Project
Certification – JetBlue has purchased high-quality carbon
credits that adhere to a strict set of standards. Projects are
registered with a third-party internationally recognized
verification standard, including the Gold Standard, Verra's
Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), Social Carbon and Climate,
Community and Biodiversity Standards (CCBS), or standards verified
by the UNFCCC. These standards also help highlight different
benefits while ensuring that the project is real, verified,
permanent and additional.
Projects certified under each
standard means that they have been developed following the rules
and requirements of the particular standard; have been
independently audited and verified; follow defined GHG emission
reduction quantification methodology; and carbon credits are
assigned serial numbers and are issued, transferred and permanently
retired in publicly accessible emission registries.
JetBlue follows the below principles when selecting
projects:
- Real: All GHG emission reductions must be proven to have
occurred.
- Measurable: All GHG emission reductions must be able to
be quantified.
- Permanent: Steps must be in place to ensure a minimal
risk of reversing the project emissions reductions, and if reversal
takes place, a plan to rebalance the expected reduction.
- Additional: All GHG emission reductions must be in
addition to what would have happened if the project were not
developed.
- Independently Audited: An accredited verification entity
experienced in the relevant sector and location has assured all
stated emissions reductions have occurred.
- Unique: No double counting of carbon credits has
occurred, with each assigned a unique serial number.
- Transparent: All GHG-related information must be
disclosed.
- Conservative: Approaches and assumptions are
conservative to avoid over-estimation.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200813005548/en/
Media Contacts JetBlue Corporate Communications Tel: +1
718 709 3089 corpcomm@jetblue.com
Theodore Rolfvondenbaumen Manager, Communications in North
America, Neste +1 832 799 7029
Theodore.rolfvonednbaumen@neste.com
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