Climate action

Our purpose is to connect New Zealanders to each other and the world, but as part of an industry reliant on fossil fuels, this comes at a cost to both the environment and the communities who rely on us.

Air New Zealand is targeting net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and we're taking practical steps today towards achieving that ambition.

Climate Statement

Aotearoa New Zealand relies on aviation for trade, tourism and connectivity. However, both our airline and the sector overall will face climate-related risks as we transition to a lower-emissions operating model.

In 2024, Air New Zealand published its first Climate Statement, as required by the Aotearoa New Zealand Climate Standards (NZ CS).

The 2024 Climate Statement is structured around the four mandatory sections of the NZ CS, which are based on the recommendations of the Task Force for Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) framework that Air New Zealand has voluntarily reported against since the 2020 financial year.

Air New Zealand will publish a Climate Statement each year in August.

2030 Emissions Guidance

Air New Zealand publishes annual 2030 Emissions Guidance, which aims to provide a regular and transparent assessment of progress towards our 2050 net-zero carbon emissions target.

The Emissions Guidance will be updated each year in August in the airline's Climate Statement. Each update will reflect the airline's expected net emissions in 2030 based on detailed modelling of its decarbonisation progress, external market conditions, and global and domestic policy developments. 

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

Sustainable aviation fuel is a form of alternative jet fuel commonly referred to as SAF.  It has lower lifecycle carbon emissions than traditional jet fuel made from fossil fuels because of how it's made and what it's made from.  Apart from reducing flying, SAF is one of the main ways we have available across the world to decarbonise air travel. 

But there's a catch.  SAF is currently between two to five times the cost of jet fuel and the world needs SAF to scale significantly to meet global demand in the future. 

Air New Zealand is using small amounts of SAF each year and this will continue to grow. We're trialling having SAF available for Air New Zealand customers to contribute to, as are other airlines around the world.  When you book a flight with us online, you can make a Voluntary Emissions Contribution towards a small portion of SAF which has been delivered into the aviation fuel system.  Contributing to SAF doesn't reduce the emissions from the specific flight you book. However, you are supporting Air New Zealand's use of SAF and lower lifecycle carbon emissions from aviation overall.

Addressing business travel emissions through SAF

If you're a company that is interested in addressing your Scope 3 business travel emissions, get in touch with us.  We have SAFc (SAF certificates) available for you now, which equate to emissions reductions via SAF. We can walk you through the simple steps to buy SAFc from Air New Zealand, and show you how to report your emissions reductions.

A contribution to SAF helps address emissions reductions within the aviation sector, which is the point they are most needed for anyone who flies or sends goods by air.  By contributing, you are helping scale and grow SAF for the future. 

 

What is SAF?

Sustainable aviation fuel is a form of alternative jet fuel commonly referred to as SAF. It's almost chemically identical to conventional jet fuel but is made from raw materials like used cooking oil or forestry waste instead of fossil fuels.  SAF is safe and being used in small amounts by airlines now all around the world, including Air New Zealand. It releases the same amount of carbon as regular fuel when it's used in an aircraft, but SAF has lower carbon emissions over its lifecycle because of what it's made from and how it's made.

SAF is a "drop in" fuel. It's bought by airlines and blended with jet fuel, and then it's delivered into the aviation fuel system that all airlines use at airports. It forms a small part of the overall fuel mix that powers an aircraft.

Find out more about SAF. 

Steps we're taking towards our target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050

  • Alternative jet fuel
  • Next generation aircraft technology
  • Continued fleet renewal
  • Operational carbon efficiency
  • Carbon removal solutions

You can find out more in our 2024 Climate Statement. Our 2025 Climate Statement is published in August 2025.