Australia-headed air carrier Qantas Group and bp Oil Australia Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of global oil and gas major bp plc have announced a strategic partnership to further advance their shared net-zero ambitions. Through the collaboration, the companies will work together on opportunities to reduce carbon emissions in the aviation sector and contribute to the development of a sustainable aviation fuel industry in Australia.
According to a joint statement, the two companies have agreed to explore ways in which bp’s global capabilities, skills, and knowledge can support Qantas’ industry-leading sustainability and environmental strategy.
Jointly, the teams will explore opportunities and projects in areas including advanced sustainable fuels, advocacy for further decarbonization in the aviation sector, renewable power solutions and generation, carbon management, and emerging technology.
At bp, we’re focusing on working with corporates in key industrial sectors that currently have significant carbon emissions to manage and need to decarbonise – sectors such as aviation. By bringing our complementary capabilities together, we can help each other, and our customers, move at a faster pace on the energy transition journey. We are delighted to have the opportunity to collaborate with Qantas on plans to reach net-zero while continuing to deepen our existing relationship, said William Lin, EVP, Regions, Cities & Solutions, bp.
In Australia, bp is working towards its low carbon goals via alternative energy solutions, technology, and as a gas producer. To that end, bp Australia has recently co-funded a feasibility study into an export-scale renewable hydrogen energy production facility in Western Australia (WA).
This is another move towards our ambition to be a net-zero company by 2050 or sooner and help the world to get to net zero. We believe the planet needs everyone working together on this vital cause, and that supporting companies to transition to a more sustainable future means we can all get there faster. Forming strong strategic partnerships with leading companies like Qantas is an important way to achieve our shared goals and we are proud that bp is working to provide decarbonisation solutions for customers in Australia, said Frédéric Baudry, President, bp Australia, and SVP Fuels & Low Carbon Solutions, Asia Pacific.
Carbon offset and SAF
Qantas currently operates one of the largest carbon offset programs in the aviation industry, with around 10 percent of customers booking flights on Qantas.com choosing to offset their flights and both Qantas and Jetstar doubling this number of flights offset by matching every dollar spent by customers.
The company has also committed to investing US$50 million over the next ten years to help develop a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry.
While the COVID crisis has compelled us to make many changes across the business, one thing that hasn’t changed is our commitment to minimizing the impact we have on the environment. Even though we have been flying a lot less, we’ve actually seen the same proportion of customers choosing to offset their domestic travel during the pandemic – showing that this issue remains top of mind for people, Andrew Parker, Qantas Group Executive Government, Industry and Sustainability said.
Qantas and bp are working towards a low carbon future and both companies aim to increase collaboration in this area over time. Last year the duo launched a partnership that allows Qantas Frequent Flyer members to earn Qantas Points on fuel and eligible in-store purchases across participating BP retail sites.
BP Plus has also become the exclusive fuel partner of Qantas Business Rewards, enabling small-medium businesses to earn points and access discounts on fuel.
Airlines globally have a responsibility to cut emissions and combat climate change, particularly once travel demand starts to return. The Qantas Group has set some ambitious targets to be net carbon neutral by 2050 and while offsetting emissions is a big part of that in the next few years, longer-term initiatives like building a sustainable aviation fuel sector in Australia, are key. This strategic partnership is designed to help build on this by leveraging the shared goals, expertise, and reach of Qantas and bp to innovate together, ended Andrew Parker.
