British Airways has launched its BA Better World sustainability programme, which it describes as it’s ‘most important journey yet.’ It is has also revealed a new collaboration with bp to source sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for all its flights between London, Glasgow and Edinburgh during the UK COP26 conference taking place at the end of October.
The airline was the first to report its carbon footprint in 1992 and last year it became the first major airline to voluntarily offset all emissions from its domestic flights. This latest announcement further reiterates British Airways’ commitment to put sustainability at the heart of its business. The airline’s sustainability programme will include reducing emissions and waste and positively contributing to the communities it serves, as well as creating a more resilient responsible business.
In line with its sustainability goals the airline is also collaborating with fuel giant bp to source SAF with respect to all its flights between London, Glasgow and Edinburgh during the UK’s COP26 climate change summit being held in Glasgow later this year.
In a UK first, British Airways has also announced that as of 7 September its customers can purchase SAF to reduce their carbon footprint via its not-for-profit organisation Pure Leapfrog. This is in addition to customers being able to offset their emissions.
“We’re thrilled to collaborate with British Airways by supplying SAF with respect to all of its flights from London to Glasgow and Edinburgh for the COP26 event,” said Martin Thomsen, CEO of bp’s aviation division. “Our companies have a long-standing relationship and will continue to work together on SAF supply initiatives on an ongoing basis.”
He added that at bp, “we want to help decarbonise the aviation industry and we will continue to collaborate with industry stakeholders and governments to explore viable options to help scale up SAF more broadly.”
British Airways’ CEO and Chairman, Sean Doyle, explained that with BA Better World, the airline is on its most important journey yet – “to a better, more sustainable future and one which will ensure the long-term success of our business.” He also commented that the airline’s commitment for COP26 to source enough SAF for its flights between London, Glasgow and Edinburgh during the summit “is in addition to the mandatory carbon trading we already operate in the UK and our own further voluntary carbon offsetting of our UK domestic flights.”
It has partnered with Airbus to paint one of its most modern, fuel-efficient short-haul aircraft, an A320neo, in its new sustainability programme colours.
At a launch event for its BA Better World programme on 7 September the airline showcased some of the initiatives it has introduced to improve sustainability in the air and on the ground, including switching from diesel to renewably powered electric pushback vehicles and removing weight from its aircraft by introducing lighter seats and trollies, inflight magazines and paper flight manuals. It also outlined its efforts to remove single-use plastic and source more products from recycled materials.
