Singapore Airlines Group has announced a commitment to achieve net
zero carbon emissions by 2050. It
plans to achieve this by investing in new-generation aircraft, achieving higher
operational efficiency, adopting low-carbon technology such as sustainable
aviation fuel (SAFs), and sourcing for high-quality carbon offsets.
The group has retired 45 older aircraft over the past year and has
orders for new-generation aircraft such as Airbus’ A350-900 and A320neo family
and Boeing’s 777-9, 787 family and 737-8 Max. These aircraft are up to 30 per
cent more fuel-efficient and have reduced carbon emissions compared to older
models.
The airline group is exploring opportunities to scale up the use of SAFs, which it has been working with since 2011, and is also looking at reducing fuel usage through aircraft weight management, and optimisation of flight routes. The company has also installed solar panels on all of its office
buildings in Singapore which generates renewable energy that provides up to 18
per cent of its electricity demand.
Goh Choon Phong, Singapore Airlines’ CEO, said: “We have remained
focused on our sustainability goals even as we navigated the Covid-19 pandemic.
We know that this is also an increasingly important issue to both our customers
and staff.
“However, we can’t achieve our goals on our own. We will continue
to collaborate with governments, the airline industry, and partners such as
aircraft manufacturers, technology providers, and fuel suppliers, both in
Singapore and around the world. We must work together to push the envelope, and
find innovative solutions that help us meet our targets on this journey.”