United Airlines is leading the airline industry in its commitment to sustainability by aiming for net zero carbon emissions by 2050 without relying on carbon offsets. The company has invested more in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) than any other airline and recently closed its UAV Sustainable Flight Fund, which raised US$200 million to support startups developing solutions to decarbonize air travel.

“We’re embracing a new goal to be 100% green by 2050 by reducing our greenhouse gas emissions 100%,” United CEO Scott Kirby explains. 

“And we’ll get there not with flashy, empty gestures, but by taking the harder, better path of actually reducing the emissions from flying. We also realise there’s a limit to what a single company can do alone. That’s why we are continuing to seek opportunities to collaborate with other industries. We must reach across industries to develop coordinated efforts to accomplish what must be our collective goal of carbon neutrality.”