Delta also will make investments in verified projects to offset the carbon footprint associated with Global Citizen’s year-long Global Goal Live: The Possible Dream campaign which supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
“There is just no substitute for the power that travel has to change lives and make the world a better place. And we’re committed to making our business of connecting people to the world one that also is environmentally minded,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “Starting with voluntarily capping our carbon emissions at 2012 levels, we continue to reduce our footprint and invest in natural climate solutions as well as projects that support local economies worldwide.”
Delta will invest more than $100,000 into The International Small Group & Tree Planting Program (TIST), a program that supports subsistence farmers in countries such as Kenya and Uganda to reverse the devastating effects of deforestation, drought and famine through tree planting and conservation farming. The investment covers carbon associated with all Delta flights into and out of Las Vegas during CES 2020.
The investments were announced as part of Bastian’s opening CES keynote address, during which he discussed how Delta is transforming the future travel experience for customers across all points of the journey through technology and innovation.
As part of its partnership with international advocacy organization Global Citizen, Delta also will invest in a verified carbon offset program specifically designed to cover the carbon footprint associated with travel and equipment transportation for Global Goal Live: The Possible Dream. Global Goal Live is a year-long campaign led by Global Citizen and Teneo, the global CEO advisory firm, which seeks to bridge the $350 billion funding gap in the 59 poorest countries in the world to reach the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals focused on sustainability, gender equality and human capital.
Global Goal Live will culminate in the largest live-broadcast cause event in history, spanning five continents on Sept. 26, 2020. Bastian is Co-Chair of the CEO Coalition, which includes leaders from various industries working to secure commitments from world leaders, policymakers, NGOs and socially conscious corporations to help meet the global goals. As part of this partnership, Delta will offset all emissions associated with travel to the events, which will be verified by South Pole, a leading provider of global sustainability solutions.
Delta is committed to reducing its emissions by 50 percent by 2050. Since 2005, Delta has reduced its jet fuel consumption through fleet renewal and fuel efficiency initiatives, leading to an 11 percent decrease in emissions, and is the only airline to voluntarily cap emissions at 2012 levels. The airline has purchased 12 million carbon offsets since 2012. Delta in 2007 became the first U.S. airline to enable customers to offset the carbon emissions associated with their travel, which travelers can do on delta.com/co2 or through the Fly Delta app.