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NetJets has launched its expanded Global Sustainability Program, a commitment to reducing the environmental footprint of the brand and its Owners. As the leader in private aviation with more than 750 aircraft worldwide, NetJets’ position in the market comes with the responsibility to drive awareness and action for important issues industry-wide. As such, the brand is developing a multi-tiered program to address sustainability and continuing to examine all aspects of its business with environmental impact in mind.
NetJets’ Global Sustainability Program focuses on:
• Sustainable Fuel
o NetJets is purchasing enough sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to account for all flights out of San Francisco, California, where the fuel supply is located, and its home base of Columbus, Ohio, in partnership with Signature Flight Support.
This totals up to 3 million gallons of SAF produced by Neste, the largest provider of renewable jet fuel and diesel globally, and the world’s third most sustainable company according to Corporate Knights’ 2020 ranking.
This commitment amounts to an unprecedented volume of sustainable fuel in the private aviation space and supports the continued industry availability of SAF, which can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% compared to conventional jet fuel.
o NetJets is continuing to explore additional SAF purchase opportunities in both the U.S. and Europe.
• Corporate Responsibility
o NetJets Europe has been carbon neutral since 2012, going above and beyond European Union regulations to participate in the Emissions Trading System, which imposes a cap and cost on emissions but does not necessitate carbon neutrality.
o NetJets will offset its administrative and training flights in the U.S. beginning in 2021, amounting to approximately 1,600 flights annually.
• Consumer Participation
o The NetJets Blue Skies program encourages Owners worldwide to take responsibility for the environmental impact of their flight by seamlessly purchasing the equivalent amount of carbon credits to ensure their flight activity is carbon neutral.
NetJets partners with ClimateCare to offset emissions through projects that protect forests, capture and destroy landfill gas and scale up renewable energy distribution, supporting several UN Sustainable Development Goals. All projects adhere to the highest leading global verification standards.
As of October 2020, NetJets Owners in the U.S. have offset 75,000 metric tons of carbon. In Europe, Owners have offset over 1 million metric tons.
By nature of its fractional ownership model, NetJets facilitates a sharing economy that eliminates the need to reposition flights to a home base and makes full-time ownership of an aircraft unnecessary, ultimately leading to more efficiencies and less surplus time in the sky.
“As the largest and most experienced company in the private aviation space worldwide, NetJets’ promise of exceptional safety and service to Owners and employees must extend to the larger global community we impact as well,” said Brad Ferrell, Executive Vice President of Administrative Services. “Our Sustainable Aviation Fuel purchase is crucial for the continued availability of the product in the market, and we’re excited to help create that opportunity, as well as to announce the next phase of our Global Sustainability Program. There remains more to be done in the sustainable aviation space, and we look forward to being on the cutting-edge of those innovations and evolving this program in our ongoing efforts to address sustainability in the air, on the ground and with our team members.”
In order to remain accountable, NetJets will track a number of metrics, including percentage decrease in carbon emissions and miles offset to carbon neutral, to share in bi-annual updates with Owners, employees and the larger aviation community. A subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, NetJets’ Global Sustainability Program aligns with the holding company’s commitment to the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals.
© 2020 David Mazor
Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell a stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.