Climate targets backed up by science

In a global world, flying allows us to connect between countries and continents for trade, relationships, culture and for love. In order to continue to benefit from the social and economic good flying brings to our lives, we are committed to reducing the carbon emissions of flying.

We want to pave the way for a future where you can continue to explore the world but with less impact on the environment. As the first step, we have set a science-based climate target to improve our emissions efficiency by 2033. For the long-term, we are, together with our industry, aiming towards net-zero emissions by 2050. 

What does 'science-based climate target' mean?

We as Finnair have set a science-based target to reduce our carbon emissions intensity by 34.5% by the year 2033 from a 2023 baseline. The target has been validated by the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi).

The SBTi independently assesses companies’ climate goals to ensure they align with the latest climate science. Climate targets validated by the SBTi guide companies on how much and how quickly they need to reduce their carbon emissions to meet the Paris Agreement's goals – limiting global warming to 1.5°C above the pre-industrial levels.

Our toolkit for reaching the target comprises of investing in sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) beyond regulatory requirements, further improving operational efficiency, optimising our network and eventually updating our fleet renewal plan. The SBTi requires airlines to decarbonise within their own operations, which means no offsetting is included in achieving our mid-term target. 

What we are doing to reduce carbon emissions of flying:

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) 

Conventional jet fuel is made of crude oil, but there are other alternatives already in use that do not require burning fossil fuels.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is an umbrella term for fuels that are made of renewable feedstocks, such as used cooking oil and animal fat. When compared to fossil-based jet fuel, SAF can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% during the fuel’s life cycle.

Currently, the share of SAF of our total fuel consumption is low, but the share will increase through regulatory mandates and our voluntary actions in the coming years.

To meet our climate targets, we are committed to using more SAF than is mandated but we will also need the support of our customers. Increasing the use of SAF in aviation is something that everyone of us can participate in. 

Use less fuel 

We are constantly working on using fuel as efficiently as possible. For example, we optimise the allocation of aircraft to different routes on a daily basis according to varying demand and fuel consumption. 

Finnair pilots are also trained to fly fuel efficiently, and they have tools in place for optimising flight levels and speeds to save fuel. Also, our uncongested home hub Helsinki Airport is ideal for fuel-saving continuous descent approach landings.

Reduce weight 

The weight of the aircraft has a direct impact on fuel burn and emissions, and weight is thus a consideration for different items onboard, from carpets to seats to trolleys. For example, we optimise the amount of potable water on board to manage aircraft weight, and weight is one of the factors for choosing materials for cabin elements. 

Fly with modern fleet

We fly one of the most modern widebody fleets in Europe. Around two thirds of our widebody aircraft are state-of-the-art Airbus A350s, which have 25% better fuel-efficiency compared to other current-generation aircrafts.