Southwest Airlines announces 10% SAF by 2030

In Texas, Southwest Airlines Co. announced a series of near-term goals, actions, and initiatives in support of a 10-year plan to maintain carbon neutrality to 2019 levels while continuing to grow its operations.

The company plans to achieve these objectives through the following actions:

• • Reduce its carbon emissions per available seat mile (including scope 1 and scope 2 emissions) by at least 20 percent by 2030 through fleet modernization, route optimization, and other initiatives.
• • Replace 10 percent of its total jet fuel consumption with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 2030.
• • Offset emissions by providing the first U.S.-based airline carbon offset offer with loyalty points and for every dollar contributed toward offsetting Southwest’s carbon emissions, Southwest will match the contribution.

Southwest’s 10-year plan to maintain carbon neutrality to 2019 levels while continuing to grow its operations includes plans to reduce, replace, and offset. In addition, the company will continue to partner with organizations and nonprofits whose work complements its efforts to improve environmental sustainability and will invite customers to join in this effort to show kindness to our planet.

The scope of Southwest’s Sustainability efforts extends well beyond a ten-year time horizon. The ultimate objective is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and there is significant work underway directed at this ultimate objective. An important step in that long-term plan is a tangible strategy and clear set of actions for the next ten years.

By 2030, Southwest plans to replace 10 percent of its total jet fuel consumption as sustainable aviation fuel by:

• • Establishing a partnership with Neste for up to 5 million gallons of SAF through December 2023.
• • Working with Marathon Petroleum Corporation and Phillips 66, furthering its announced memoranda of understanding, to facilitate the development and production of SAF at significant scale.
• • Engaging with Deloitte, Siemens, and Zurich North America for SAF beta partnerships to help support Southwest’s utilization of SAF in its operation.