Science-based climate target (SBTi) independently assesses companies’ climate goals to ensure they align with the latest climate science. Climate targets validated by the SBTi guide companies on how much and how quickly they need to reduce their carbon emissions to meet the Paris Agreement's goals – limiting global warming to 1.5°C above the pre-industrial levels.

The SBTi requires airlines to decarbonise within their own operations, which means no offsetting is included in achieving our mid-term target.

Finnair’s science-based target in detail

• Our SBTi target requires us to reduce our carbon emissions intensity (CO2e/RTK) by 34.5% by 2033, using 2023 as the baseline year. This target translates into an approximate 13% reduction in our absolute carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions over this period. The absolute emissions reduction is an estimated figure based on variables such as annual growth forecasts, which may change in the future.
• Carbon emissions intensity is defined as the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2e) emissions per revenue tonne kilometre (RTK), which is a measure of passenger and cargo payload carried by Finnair. In 2023, our carbon emissions intensity was 976 CO2e/RTK.
• The target encompasses 'well-to-wake' emissions that account for the complete lifecycle emissions from the jet fuel used by us, including direct emissions from the use of jet fuel in flight (scope 1) as well as indirect emissions from the extraction, production, and distribution of that fuel (scope 3, category 3).
• We will monitor and annually report our progress against the target to the SBTi and in our sustainability reports.
• Flying causes more than just carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions – it also produces other types of emissions that contribute to global warming. The most significant of these is the formation of contrails in the upper atmosphere. The contrail impacts have not been included in our climate targets, as there is still scientific uncertainty about their comparability and calculation, and reliable and scalable ways to reduce them are not yet available. Finnair is actively studying its impact from these emissions, possible mitigation measures, and will report about non-CO2 effects once more information becomes available.