Delta to invest $1 billion to curb global air travel's climate impact

Delta Air Lines Inc said on Friday it will invest $1 billion over the next decade in initiatives that would limit the impact of global air travel on the environment, the first airline to make a commitment of that scale. The aviation industry accounts for roughly 2 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions and has set out a plan to achieve carbon-neutral growth from 2020, even as air travel is forecast to accelerate.

Facing increasing demands from customers, individual airlines like Delta have taken additional steps to mitigate their carbon impact with measures ranging from eliminating single-use plastics to investing in biofuels and purchasing more fuel-efficient aircraft.

With this new investment, Delta intends to become the first carbon-neutral airline globally while helping to fund research and projects involving clean air technologies and the reduction of carbon emissions and waste. "There's no challenge we face that is in greater need of innovation than environmental sustainability, and we know there is no single solution," Delta's chief executive, Ed Bastian, said in a statement. The airline provided no details on how it will invest the money.