JetBlue Provides Platform Enabling Customers to Address Flight Emissions with SAF Purchases
JetBlue customers will be able to estimate the carbon emissions of their flights, and address them by directly contributing to the purchase of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), following an agreement announced today between the airline and climate tech company CHOOOSE.
CHOOSE provides a software as a service (SaaS) platform enabling companies to build and run climate programs allowing customers to track, understand, and reduce emissions. The company has partnered with companies in the aviation, travel, and logistics sectors, including Trip.com, Air Canada and British Airways, on offerings enabling customers to estimate their travel emissions and address them through sustainable aviation fuel, carbon offsets and carbon removals programs.
Under the new agreement, JetBlue customers will be able to access a dedicated platform, enabling them to input flight data to determine the flight’s estimated emissions, select the proportion of the carbon footprint to be reduced, and then contribute to a fund dedicated to covering the cost premium of SAF as compared to conventional jet fuel.
In December, JetBlue announced a commitment to reduce lifecycle emissions related to jet fuel by 50% per revenue tonne kilometer (RTK) by 2035, and released its roadmap to the achievement of its climate targets, indicating that transitioning to SAF is expected to be the key contributor to the airline’s decarbonization strategy, representing over half of its emissions reductions relative to a business-as-usual pathway.
JetBlue has stated that it sees SAF as the most promising avenue to rapidly address aviation emissions, and is on track to hit its goal to convert 10% of the airline’s total fuel to be SAF by 2030. JetBlue has recently announced several of SAF-sourcing deals with suppliers including Fidelis New Energy, AIR Company, and Neste.
The airline said that the new agreement builds on its JetBlue Sustainable Travel Partners program, launched early last year, aimed at helping corporate customers address Scope 3 travel emissions, with offerings including sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) certificate purchases, complimentary carbon offsetting on all domestic flights operated by JetBlue, and personalized travel data and analysis for emissions reporting.
Sara Bogdan, Director of Sustainability and ESG at JetBlue, said:
“The call from our customers for more sustainable air travel has only gotten louder and louder. We are proud of our industry-leading commitments and actions but recognize reaching our aggressive goals will require the partnership and support of multiple stakeholders. With this new platform, customers are now able to measurably reduce the environmental impact of air travel, as well as join their voices with JetBlue and our growing list of partners as we work and advocate for a more sustainable future of aviation.”
The agreement follows an announcement last month by CHOOOSE that it had raised $15 million, with proceeds aimed at helping the company to expand its platform to support new sectors, and to broaden the portfolio of carbon solutions supported on the platform.
Andreas Slettvoll, CEO at CHOOOSE, said:
“This is how we change the emissions at their root cause, by giving passengers the opportunity to opt for alternatives to fossil fuel. We are excited to be a part of JetBlue’s journey to becoming a more sustainable business. Together we will make SAF much more accessible to travelers across the world.”