Axios House: Sustainable travel goals are a "team" sport, transportation leaders say
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Delta's Amelia DeLuca on stage at Axios House. Photo: Sam Popp for Axios
NEW YORK — Companies will need coordinated action from the government, suppliers and customers to meet sustainability goals, Delta Air Lines and Uber leaders said at Axios House at Climate Week and the UN General Assembly.
Why it matters: The push to make travel more sustainable is colliding with the costs of adaptation and lack of supporting infrastructure.
Axios' Alan Neuhauser moderated conversations with Delta Air Lines chief sustainability officer Amelia DeLuca and Uber global head of mobility sustainability Santosh Rao. The Sept. 22 event was sponsored by Hilton.
State of play: Delta recently reframed its 50% net-zero target by 2050 as an "aspiration" after previously describing it as an "ultimate goal." The company remains committed to its 10% sustainable aviation fuel target by 2030.
What they're saying: Partnerships are the core of a successful sustainable travel strategy.
- Delta has a "multiyear, long-term strategic partnership with Shell," DeLuca said, and "they're helping us with the logistics and the infrastructure, the sourcing of that sustainable aviation fuel."
- "There needs to be continued government support — federal, state and internationally," DeLuca added. "We are sure going to try" to meet the SAF threshold, "but it's really a team effort."
- "This is going to be a team sport," Rao said. "We're not going to be able to do it alone."
Zoom in: Government subsidies will be necessary "for quite some time" to help sustainable aviation fuel compete with conventional jet fuel, DeLuca said.
What we're watching: A recent survey showed that charger access is the biggest barrier to electric vehicle adoption. To address this, Uber launched a pilot in France this week allowing drivers to find and pay for charging directly in the app, Rao said.
- "We're looking forward to rolling that [out] to more markets globally," Rao said.
Content from the sponsor's segment:
In a View From the Top conversation, Jean Garris Hand, Hilton VP and global head of sustainability and responsible business, says the company aims to build a sustainable travel strategy that benefits guests, properties and communities.
- "The future of travel and the future of our business go hand in hand," she said. "We must preserve those destinations all around the world so that they will be vibrant and they will be accessible for travelers for future generations."
Go deeper: Watch the full event.
