JetBlue, CHOOOSE Team Up for Sustainable Air Travel
JetBlue Airways Corp
JetBlue has revealed a new collaboration with climate technology firm CHOOOSE, which is in line with the company's continued efforts to prioritise sustainability and promote the adoption of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
JetBlue customers can now support SAF adoption through a dedicated climate platform powered by CHOOOSE, accessible via https://jetblue.chooose.today. This platform allows customers to estimate their flights' CO2 emissions and offset these emissions by contributing to a fund specifically designed to cover the cost premium of SAF compared to traditional jet fuel.
JetBlue thinks that SAF is the most promising way to deal with aviation emissions quickly and effectively, as long as cost-effective SAF is available on a large scale in the commercial market.
SAF is a renewable fuel produced from a broad range of sources, such as agricultural waste and used cooking oil, not from fossil fuels. SAF can be directly dropped into current aircraft and infrastructure without affecting safety or performance. SAF can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 80% compared to traditional petroleum-based fuels while also decreasing particle and sulfur pollution.
In 2022, SAF accounted for approximately 0.3% of JetBlue's total fuel consumption. To increase this volume and achieve the aviation industry's emissions reduction objectives, supporting and expanding SAF availability is essential. By contributing to the purchase of additional SAF via CHOOOSE, JetBlue's customers can now send a vital message about consumer demand for more sustainable air travel options and aid in the growth of the emerging SAF market.
“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 recognise reaching our aggressive goals will require the partnership and support of multiple stakeholders,” said Sara Bogdan, director of sustainability and environmental social governance, JetBlue. "With this new platform, customers can now reduce the environmental impact of flying in a way that can be measured. They can also join JetBlue and our growing list of partners in working for a more sustainable future for aviation and making their voices heard."
Despite its proven effectiveness, additional support for SAF is still necessary to encourage the economies of scale required to make SAF more widely accessible and cost-competitive with traditional fuel sources. JetBlue is committed to securing both immediate and future supplies of SAF to convert 10% of its total fuel usage to SAF by 2030. JetBlue has already been using SAF regularly at its California airports in San Francisco and Los Angeles, collaborating with the two existing SAF suppliers in the United States, Neste and World Energy. Furthermore, in 2022 alone, JetBlue signed agreements with three additional SAF producers for future supply: Aemetis, AIR COMPANY, and Fidelis New Energy, to promote a vibrant and competitive market.
The newly announced partnership with CHOOOSE is an expansion of JetBlue's previously introduced JetBlue Sustainable Travel Partners programme for its corporate travel customers. The programme allows organisations to decrease their reported carbon footprint by purchasing SAF certificates issued by JetBlue and addressing their "Scope 3" indirect emissions, such as those produced through corporate travel. Since the programme's inception in 2022, several sustainability-focused organisations have utilised JetBlue-issued SAF certificates to procure over 1.6 million gallons of SAF in total.
Through the partnership with CHOOOSE, individual customers can now collaborate with JetBlue and these sustainability-focused organisations to push for greater availability of lower-carbon solutions in the aviation sector. All customer contributions through https://jetblue.chooose.today/ will help offset the cost difference between SAF and traditional jet fuel, enabling the airline to 'upgrade' more conventional jet fuel to SAF and sending a powerful message about the existence of demand for SAF.
“CHOOOSE is thrilled to support JetBlue’s efforts to reduce its carbon emissions by making it easy and accessible for JetBlue customers to take action on the emissions associated with their flights and to join JetBlue in its efforts to transition to SAF. Airlines, governments, NGOs and travelers alike must come together to scale the production and use of SAF and other low-emission alternatives,” said Andreas Slettvoll, CEO at CHOOOSE. “This is how we change the emissions at their root cause, by allowing passengers to opt for alternatives to fossil fuel. We are excited to join JetBlue’s journey to becoming a more sustainable business. Together we will make SAF much more accessible to travelers across the world”
Source: BUSINESS WIRE
