Nordic airline Finnair has taken a hard-line stance on carbon emissions with the announcement of its ambitious sustainability programme, which includes cutting its net emissions by half by 2025 from the 2019 baseline.

The carrier is also planning to be ahead of the curve by aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045 ¨C five years earlier than the global aviation industry¡¯s commitment.

The airline said international initiatives such as the mandatory European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and the upcoming Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) will be key to halving its net emissions by 2025.

To reach its goal, Finnair is implementing a number of initiatives across its operations, including a €3.5-€4 billion investment in its fleet between 2020 and 2025 and reducing emissions in its European traffic by 10 to 15 per cent.

This is in addition to a €60 million investment in sustainability during the same period.

It will also aim to reduce the weight on board every flight, including ending in-flight retail sales within the EU from 29 April and encouraging passengers to pack lighter. According to Anne Larilahti, Finnair¡¯s VP of sustainability, if every passenger packed one kilogram less in their luggage, it would save the equivalent fuel needed to fly between Helsinki and Tokyo 20 times. Overall, the target is to reduce fuel consumption by 15,000 tonnes per year.

The airline will also be looking to operational efficiencies, a partnership with Neste to increase the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), reducing single-use plastics and food waste by 50 per cent each by the end of 2022 and introducing more vegetarian and vegan options for its on board catering.

From 1 September 2020, Finnair will offset the CO2 emissions of all of its corporate customers ¡°to take the pressure off of travel managers trying to balance cost and sustainability¡±, according to Larilahti. It is also looking to provide emissions data as part of its regular reporting for corporate clients.

And the carrier will be introducing new ticket types later this year that allow passengers to include the cost of supporting biofuel purchases or offsetting initiatives. Finnair will also match the contribution of every customer who contributes to biofuel purchases.

CEO Topi Manner said: ¡°Aviation is a fast-paced industry subject to many changes, and everything impacts it. Maintaining a long-term perspective at all times, in all market situations, is key. The plans we announced today prepare us for the next 100 years of Finnair¡¯s future.¡±

Speaking via video call at a press briefing on Friday, Manner added that the current downturn in demand due to Covid-19 does not impact the airline¡¯s plan to hit certain targets by 2025. ¡°We have the balance sheet to maintain our long-term focus at times like these,¡± he added.

¡°Our number one goal is to reduce our own CO2 emissions by investing in new aircraft technology, by flying fuel-efficiently, by decreasing aircraft weight and by increasing the use of sustainable aviation fuels. We are also investing in innovation and research to create future solutions that support our long-term target of carbon neutrality.¡±

Larilahti added: ¡°The ambitious targets we have announced today are achievable through the tangible steps which we know will make a real contribution to CO2 reduction. By working with our customers, partners and our employees we can embrace this challenge with confidence. We want to encourage innovation and engagement, from our customers to our staff to our supply chain to show Finnair can lead the way to make a real difference.¡±

She also said she believes the world will see an increase in innovation on the technology side between 2025 and 2045, including the potential for electric planes and more fuel-efficient aircraft engines.

In addition, the airline will be incorporating sustainability into its core by proposing an amendment to its Articles of Association at its Annual General Meeting, and it will be purchasing biofuels to support its internal business travel.