United Airlines
Corporate Responsibility Report

Environment

Environmental data including emissions, energy, water and waste

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Direct (Scope 1) emissions

2023metric tons CO2e2022metric tons CO2e2021metric tons CO2e2020metric tons CO2e
Direct (Scope 1) emissions36,590,47230,400,71521,375,325*15,485,363
Mainline aircraft direct emissions36,454,53230,263,43121,253,38515,392,492
Conventional jet fuel36,454,01630,263,21621,253,316*15,392,491*
Sustainable aviation fuel - CH4 and N2O51721568*45*
Mainline vehicles (diesel, gasoline, CNG, LPG)52,97647,44738,24224,766
Facilities (natural gas combustion, engine test cells)82,96489,83781,99770,797
Dry ice from catering001,7202,015

Biogenic emissions - outside of scopes

2023metric tons CO2e2022metric tons CO2e2021metric tons CO2e2020metric tons CO2e
Biogenic emissions - outside of scopes67,39526,8065,745*5,976*
Mainline aircraft emissions - CO2 from sustainable aviation fuel67,39526,8065,745*5,976*

Indirect (Scope 2) emissions

2023metric tons CO2e2022metric tons CO2e2021metric tons CO2e2020metric tons CO2e
Indirect (Scope 2) emissions144,019149,252160,794175,087
Electricity consumption (location-based)160,340166,757183,311196,066
Electricity consumption (market-based)143,991149,251160,794175,087
Steam consumption28000

Other Indirect (Scope 3) emissions

2023metric tons CO2e2022metric tons CO2e2021metric tons CO2e2020metric tons CO2e
Other Indirect (Scope 3) emissions12,671,51013,343,67611,926,943*8,982,191*
Category 3 - Mainline aircraft fuel production7,391,9367,250,1965,106,045*4,701,874*
Conventional jet fuel7,377,9467,246,4785,104,506*3,752,824*
Sustainable aviation fuel13,9903,7181,538*1,491*
Category 4 - Regional aircraft direct emissions and fuel production4,873,5625,587,3221,259,152*94,7558*
Regional aircraft and bus-operated flights flown under capacity purchase agreement - direct emissions4,048,1834,504,6645,294,7254,053,434
Regional vehicles (diesel, gasoline, CNG, LPG)Footnote 212,79914,53315,48113,658
Regional aircraft flown under capacity purchase agreement - fuel production789,1891,030,6881,202,863*908,708*
Regional aircraft flown on an at-risk basis - fuel production23,39137,43756,289*38,849*
Category 7 - Employee commuting125,795111,10852,27880,980
Category 14 - Regional aircraft flown on an at-risk basis122,425163,902243,5530
Category 15 - Ownership stake in Azul Brazilian Airlines156,432229,912199,099132,220
Category 15 - United Airlines Ventures investmentsFootnote 31,3611,23616224

Gross emissions

2023metric tons CO2e2022metric tons CO2e2021metric tons CO2e2020metric tons CO2e
Gross GHG emissions49,406,00143,893,64233,463,063*24,647,396*
Carbon offsets0000
Net GHG emissions49,406,00143,893,64233,463,063*24,647,396*

Efficiency numbers

2023202220212020
Revenue passenger-miles (RPM), in millions - mainline and regional244,585206,791128,97973,883
Metric tons CO2e per million RTKs - mainline and regionalFootnote 41,056.901,097.701,106.6**1,337.7*
Revenue tonnes-kilometers (RTK), in millions - mainline and regional46,36139,52625,21215,934
Available seat-miles (ASMs), in millions - mainline and regional291,566247,858178,684122,804
Metric tons CO2e per million ASMs - mainline and regional168.9176.2186.2**199.6*

Energy consumption

2023202220212020
Conventional jet fuel - Mainline aircraft, in millions of gallons3,7793,1392,2051,600
Sustainable aviation fuel - Mainline aircraft, in millions of gallons7311
Lifecycle reduction from SAF77.90%86.90%83.40%79.30%
Emissions reductions from SAF (metric tons CO2e)11,3083,4199878,517
Conventional jet fuel - Regional aircraft, in millions of gallons418466523404
Electricity (MWh)434,790435,259447,714477,751
Natural gas (MM BTUs)1,481,6041,628,7221,494,6981,264,964

Local air quality

Nitrogen Oxide emissions

2023tons2022tons2021tons2020tons
NOx emissions from mainline aircraft10,35614,94810,8137,660
NOx emissions (old)11,55416,14411,6268,565
Mainline aircraft (jet fuel)10,35614,94810,8137,660
Vehicles (diesel, gasoline, CNG, LPG)1,1971,196813905
Facilities (Natural gas combustion, engine test cells)156153121130

Sulfur Dioxide emissions

2023tons2022tons2021tons2020tons
SO2 emissions from mainline aircraft1,2501,4131,022730
SO2 emissions (old)1,2511,4141,022731
Mainline aircraft (jet fuel)1,2501,4131,022730
Vehicles (diesel, gasoline, CNG, LPG)0000
Facilities (Natural gas combustion, engine test cells)1111

Carbon Monoxide emissions

2023tons2022tons2021tons2020tons
CO emissions from mainline aircraft9,0277,8055,5033,743
CO emissions (old)16,08916,75910,5079,207
Mainline aircraft (jet fuel)9,0277,8055,5033,743
Vehicles (diesel, gasoline, CNG, LPG)6,9778,8644,9215,388
Facilities (Natural gas combustion, engine test cells)85918376

Waste management

2023metric tons2022metric tons2021metric tons2020metric tons
Waste-total59,02525,17631,40726,667
Hazardous and non-hazardous waste generation19,30322,39924,25315,602
Catering-Municipal waste37,0142,77610,36711,066
HazardousMoved to new categoryMoved to new categoryMoved to new categoryMoved to new category
Non-hazardous/other wasteMoved to new categoryMoved to new categoryMoved to new categoryMoved to new category
Recycling-total9,2096,1125,8184,468
Non-catering-recycled5,0475,2554,4463,302
Catering-recycled4,1588571,3721,166

Water consumption

2023millions of gallons2022millions of gallons2021millions of gallons2020millions of gallons
Billed water consumptionFootnote 5429329661484

The data presented herein reflecting United’s 2023 GHG emissions footprint has been internally validated by United Airlines Internal Audit Department and externally verified by our third-party verification partner ERM CVS. United obtains this third-party verification of our Selected Information on an annual basis. ERM Certification and Verification Services (ERM CVS, a wholly owned subsidiary of the ERM Group, a global market leader in sustainability services) conducts our emissions verification and provides an ISO 14064-3 limited assurance on our GHG emissions for reporting.

Download our GHG Emissions Verification Report

Footnotes

  1. United accounts emissions reductions associated with the use and combustion of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to be a Scope 1 reduction, as it is in-sector and a sustainable alternative to the conventional jet fuel usage that is accounted in the gross emissions of this Scope. This is an interpretation of the GHG Protocol, until such time that an accepted GHG accounting methodology is developed to reflect in-sector reductions associated to biogenic products.
  2. United changed to a more straightforward methodology to determine GHG emissions from GSE starting with 2018 reporting, but has not restated prior years; this change also re-allocated GHG emissions between Mainline and Regional GSE
  3. United Airlines Ventures investments in Alder Fuels, Archer Aviation, Boom, Clear, Fulcrum BioEnergy, Heart Aerospace, and ZeroAvia (some of which may not have developed GHG inventories yet)
  4. Intensity metric is used to track United’s progress against our SBTi near term target it includes Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 category 3 and 4 emissions
  5. Does not account for all United locations or locations shared with other companies (e.g., airport terminals) and as a result may change considerably from year to year

* This data point has been added or updated to reflect the change in our GHG accounting methodology made in 2023 as referenced in our 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report and accurately tracking against our SBTi validated mid-term goal.

** This calculation has been updated since the publishing of United’s Form 10K to include Scope 3 Categories 3 & 4 for comparability with the 2023 emissions disclosures which include these emission categories. Inclusion of these Scope 3 emission categories reflects a change in our GHG accounting methodology as referenced in our Corporate Responsibility Report and accurately tracking against our SBTI-validated mid-term goal.

Totals may not add up due to rounding.