Delta unveils 10-year plan to become world's 1st carbon-neutral airline

Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Delta Air Lines, the world's second-largest carrier, announced plans Friday to mount an ambitious 10-year strategy during which it will spend at least $1 billion and become the world's first carbon-neutral airline.

The Atlanta-based carrier said it will launch the effort next month, which will include investments in green air travel technologies, methods to reduce carbon emissions and waste and development of projects to mitigate emissions it does produce.

"There is no substitute for the power that travel has to connect people, which our world needs today more than ever before," Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement. "It is our responsibility to deliver on our promise to bring people together and ensure the utmost care for our environment.

"The time is now to accelerate our investments and establish an ambitious commitment that the entire Delta team will deliver."

Delta said its plans also include cutting its use of jet fuel, investing in forestry, restoring wetlands, recapturing soil, building green coalitions with employees and suppliers.

Delta is the world's largest carrier by revenue and the second-largest by passenger traffic, behind only American Airlines.

Delta is the latest major company to mount an ambitious environmental strategy. Teenage climate change activist Greta Thurnberg gained widespread fame last year when she refused to fly to the United States for a climate change summit -- not wanting to contribute to the industry's carbon output -- and sailed instead.

JetBlue Airways announced last month it will offset emissions from all domestic flights and British carrier EasyJet said last fall it also will become carbon neutral.