Delta says it will spend $1 billion to be carbon neutral, the latest airline announcing a radical shift to make flying less destructive

Thomas Pallini

February 15, 2020 1:39 PM

Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images

In 2018, the International Council on Clean Transportation reported that commercial aviation operations including airline flights accounted for 2% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions that stemmed from utilizing fossil fuels.

Delta Air Lines is committing $1 billion to be carbon neutral by 2030.
Aviation emissions account for 2% of the world's total CO2 emissions from fossil fuels, with 98% of Delta's emissions coming from its aircraft.
With demand for air travel only growing, the emissions will inevitably rise and airlines are becoming the target of protest due to their role in climate change.
One way airlines have been fighting back against emissions is by acquiring more efficient aircraft.
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Thousands of flights criss-cross the skies over our heads every day, transporting millions of people to destinations near and far. Powering those flights, however, are fossil fuel-burning engines that greatly contribute to the amount of CO2 in Earth's atmosphere.

With concerns for the environment growing, airlines have been among the most attacked for the part they play in global climate change. They're easy targets for environmentalists as after all, their aircraft constantly leave reminders of their environmental impact whenever they fly overhead with the white puffy contrails that trail an aircraft's engine.

In response, airlines have been taking a look at their flight in climate change and taking measures to combat it.

Delta Air Lines and JetBlue Airways in the US have both announced measures to drastically cut their emissions, with the former pledging $1 billion to do so.

Here's how the aviation industry is fighting back against climate change.

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