What does sustainable jet fuel mean for Air NZ and will it help save the planet?

Air New Zealand purchased 1.2m litres of sustainable aviation fuel, in its bid to reduce the climate impact of its services. It’s made from recycled cooking oil and animal waste. But will it make a difference? Olivia Wannan reports. Even though this 1.2m litres could fly a plane between Auckland to Wellington 400 times, the airline has confirmed it equates to less than 1% of the jet fuel it consumes every year. Simply put, there isn’t enough wasted cooking grease in the world to fully replace fossil jet fuel, an oil expert says. Currently, flying is one of the most-carbon intensive activities a person can do. As seats are comparatively spacious and heavy plus baggage allowances more generous, first- and business-class travel is particularly polluting. This means environment advocates have concluded aviation emissions needed to peak by 2030 “at the latest” – or even better, by 2025 – to align with the Paris Agreement, the global accord to limit global heating to “well below” 2C, or ideally 1.5C. Earlier this year, Air NZ unveiled a green campaign, Flight 0, and a goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Compared to 2019, Air NZ aims to reduce the carbon intensity of its services in 2030 by nearly 29%. But because the airline intends to increase its capacity, this translates to a 16% reduction in its carbon footprint by the end of the decade.<br/>