Planet
At Southwest Airlines®, we take pride in being the airline with Heart and that includes respecting our Planet. Our goal is to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 20501 which will require a strategic mix of advanced long-term planning and near-term action. We are working to make progress across our strategic areas of focus to help us achieve our near and long-term sustainability goals and beyond.
Achieving our goal of net zero carbon emissions by 20501
requires a strategic mix of long-term planning and near-term action.
Planet Goals
- Achieve net zero carbon emissions by 20501
- Reduce our carbon emissions intensity by 50% by 2035, as compared with 20192
- Replace 10% of total jet fuel consumption with Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) by 20303
Climate Risks and Opportunities Assessment
Assessing climate-related risks is a component of strengthening long-term organizational resilience.
View our TCFD disclosureOur Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Explore our environmental data and performance.
View our GHG assurance statementView our Planet data
Climate Advocacy
Southwest advocates for public policies focused on achieving our goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.1
Read our climate advocacy statementEnvironmental Policy
We've established guiding principles to seek to address our impact on the environment.
Read our environmental policy statement1Our net zero by 2050 goal includes Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 Category 3 emissions only and excludes any emissions associated with non-fuel products and services, such as inflight service items.
2Our carbon emissions intensity reduction goal is compared against a 2019 baseline using metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) (including Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 Category 3 emissions (upstream emissions of jet fuel)) and includes the use of SAF and excludes the use of carbon offsets. Values have been recalculated on an available seat mile (ASM) basis; prior reported values were presented on a revenue ton kilometer (RTK) basis.
3Southwest continues to evaluate opportunities to procure and support the scaled production of SAF. SAF supply and related opportunities are subject to a number of legal, regulatory, financial, technical, and commercial risks. Procuring increasing volumes of SAF for our operations is subject to a number of uncertainties outside our control, and while we may enter into various agreements for the offtake of, or investment in, the production of SAF, we cannot guarantee that the third parties we enter into these agreements with will ultimately be able to successfully deliver or produce sufficient volumes of SAF on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. Some SAF projects, including projects we have previously pursued or for which we have entered into offtake agreements, have not succeeded or could fail to succeed for reasons that may be outside our control, and we cannot guarantee that we will be able to successfully execute and/or commercialize future SAF-related opportunities. Any inability to procure SAF at sufficient volumes and on commercially reasonable terms could also impact our stated sustainability goals.
2Our carbon emissions intensity reduction goal is compared against a 2019 baseline using metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) (including Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 Category 3 emissions (upstream emissions of jet fuel)) and includes the use of SAF and excludes the use of carbon offsets. Values have been recalculated on an available seat mile (ASM) basis; prior reported values were presented on a revenue ton kilometer (RTK) basis.
3Southwest continues to evaluate opportunities to procure and support the scaled production of SAF. SAF supply and related opportunities are subject to a number of legal, regulatory, financial, technical, and commercial risks. Procuring increasing volumes of SAF for our operations is subject to a number of uncertainties outside our control, and while we may enter into various agreements for the offtake of, or investment in, the production of SAF, we cannot guarantee that the third parties we enter into these agreements with will ultimately be able to successfully deliver or produce sufficient volumes of SAF on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. Some SAF projects, including projects we have previously pursued or for which we have entered into offtake agreements, have not succeeded or could fail to succeed for reasons that may be outside our control, and we cannot guarantee that we will be able to successfully execute and/or commercialize future SAF-related opportunities. Any inability to procure SAF at sufficient volumes and on commercially reasonable terms could also impact our stated sustainability goals.