Actively reflecting the group’s efforts in moving towards a greener aviation, Cathay Pacific has revealed its 2019 Sustainability report. Here are some of their newest milestones.
Aviation has been held tight ever since the pandemic dawned, but striving to get stronger and better in this time, Cathay Pacific has been revisiting their strategies and recently revealed their Sustainability Report 2019. Marked by tremendous changes and new feats taken, the airline is only gearing up for doing more.
Augustus Tang, CEO, Cathay Pacific says, “We are very determined to play our part in this hugely important undertaking; one which requires us to be financially successful but in a socially and environmentally responsible manner. And therefore, our commitment to developing sustainably with transparency and accountability is undiminished.”
Remaining committed to a transformation path, here are some major milestones the airline highlighted in 2019:
New single-use plastic reduction target: Cathay Pacific has set the target to reduce single-use plastic footprint by 50% by the end of 2022, removing nearly 200 million pieces of single-use plastic from our operations annually.
Fighting climate change: New efficiency initiatives, added six new and more fuel-efficient Airbus A350s to their fleet, and scaled up climate change risk and mitigation planning have yielded a 27% cumulative improvement in fuel efficiency.
Caring for our community: Through their new Cathay ChangeMakers initiative and the longstanding I Can Fly programme, Cathay Pacific continues to support the positive development of communities. The I Can Fly programme has been adopted by many of the airline’s local teams – in mainland China, Canada, the USA and Thailand to nurture an enthusiasm for aviation among young people around the world.
SUSTAINABLE SEAFOOD
Recognising the need to conserve certain species that are endangered due to the problem of overfishing, Cathay Pacific had established an internal Sustainable Food Policy in 2011 wherein they opt out of purchasing specific unsustainable food items and ask for information with regards to where the food was originally sourced.
In 2019, Cathay Pacific Catering Services (CPCS) purchased a total of 412 tonnes of certified sustainable, traceable seafood, aiming at protecting marine ecosystems for future generations.
PROMOTING PLANT-BASED MEAT
The airline is also launching Omnipork in the air and Beyond Meat in First Class lounges. Omnipork is 100% plant-based, Cholesterol-free, Animal cruelty-free, 66% lower in saturated fat and calories than uncooked pork, and is fully Vegan and Buddhist friendly!
PRIORITIZING CLIMATE CHANGE CAUSES
“Climate risk is a priority risk at Cathay Pacific.
We are committed to managing this risk and
responding to stakeholders’ concerns by
reducing our carbon footprint and building
operational resilience.” adds the report.
Cathay Pacific also supports the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s adopting a set of ambitious targets to mitigate CO2 emissions from air transport:
- An average improvement in fuel efficiency of 1.5% per year from 2009 to 2020
- A cap on net aviation CO2 emissions from 2020
(carbon-neutral growth) - A reduction in net aviation CO2 emissions of 50% by 2050, relative to 2005 levels
Further to the report, August Tang adds, “All of us Cathay Pacific will continue to focus on the priorities that we know matter most – putting the safety of our passengers and staff at the forefront and playing our part in leading the recovery efforts when the time is right.”
Read the full report here: https://sustainability.cathaypacific.com/past-reports/reports-download/
Image credits: news.cathaypacific.com
