Metrics and targets

E1-4 – Targets related to climate change mitigation and adaptation

Scientifically proven carbon reduction targets underpin climate protection ambitions

The Lufthansa Group has set itself ambitious climate change mitigation targets. The SBTi validation in 2022 made the Lufthansa Group the first airline group in Europe and the second worldwide with a scientifically verified CO₂ reduction target in line with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015. In terms of the SBTi criteria the Lufthansa Group has set itself a target of reducing its carbon intensity, i.e. its CO₂ emissions in grammes of CO₂ per revenue tonne-kilometre (passenger and freight) – by 30.6 % from 2019 to 2030. The Lufthansa Group aligns its targets for reducing GHG emissions through the SBTi target with the political goal of limiting global warming to well below two degrees as set out in the Paris Agreement.

The Lufthansa Group’s SBTi target is supplemented by a net-zero target for 2050 and a net-emissions target of -50% for 2030 compared with 2019 to help limit global warming to only 1.5°C as set out by the IPCC. The Lufthansa Group used 2019 as its base year because that was the last operating year unaffected by the coronavirus crisis in terms of emissions when the targets were set. The targets for reducing carbon emissions also account for future developments, such as the growth in the number of flights based on the current company-wide growth scenarios. In addition, the Company has set a target for ground operations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland to source electricity exclusively from renewable energies. The Lufthansa Group has consolidated its carbon emissions reductions. The validated SBTi target for aircraft operations covers Scope 1 as well as Scope 3, Category 3. The targets defined for climate change mitigation with regard to ground operations cover market-based Scope 2 emissions.

The Lufthansa Group’s mitigation pathway incorporates business development and forecasts the mitigation amounts of individual measures. It defines the key levers by which the Lufthansa Group will decarbonise aircraft operations and achieve its targets. Numerous investments and partnerships support the pathway, driving emissions reductions in the short to medium term and advancing the development of the technologies needed over the long term.

Management of SBTi targets is embedded within the Company

The Corporate Responsibility department, in close collaboration with the relevant business areas and specialist departments, develops the strategy and designs the reduction targets for the Lufthansa Group’s airlines. The Executive Board has ultimate oversight of the climate change mitigation and environmental strategy, as well as the organisation, management and implementation of these targets. The Group’s ESG reporting team coordinates the targets to ensure consistency with the GHG inventory.

The contribution of individual decarbonisation levers has been quantified

The Lufthansa Group has identified a number of decarbonisation levers, which are described within its four-pillar strategy and the measures taken. The Lufthansa Group quantifies the following contributions of its individual decarbonisation levers to achieving the SBTi target in 2030:

• Fleet renewal reduces GHG emissions per revenue tonne-kilometre (RTK) by a projected 15% based on current framework conditions such as the supply reliability of aircraft manufacturers 
• Operational efficiency measures reduce GHG emissions per RTK by a projected 3.8% based on current framework conditions such as the networked utilisation of European airspace 
• The use of SAF additionally reduces GHG emissions per RTK by a projected 3.4% based on current framework conditions such as the availability and economic viability of SAF. 

To achieve its net climate change mitigation targets, the Lufthansa Group relies not only on decarbonisation measures but also on compensation initiatives, such as supporting certified climate change mitigation projects.

Progress on target achievement measured annually

Overall, the combined reduction in carbon emissions per RTK compared with the base year 2019 (SBTi KPI) across all measures amounted to 3.8% in the reporting year.

The main influencing factors were delays in the delivery of modern aircraft, which prevented the planned fleet renewal from being implemented as originally scheduled. Additionally, current geopolitical situations, such as Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the Middle East crisis, have required flights to detour around large-scale airspace restrictions, leading to increased fuel consumption on the affected routes in recent years.  

The Lufthansa Group is continuously working on modernising its fleet, increasing the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and implementing further efficiency measures. The Lufthansa Group is also expanding its services and offerings for more sustainable flight options, enabling further reductions in carbon emissions. 

The handling of other gases with an impact on climate remains unresolved

The Lufthansa Group has not yet defined targets for other climate-relevant non-CO₂ gases. It is currently conducting research to develop a uniform standard for converting these into CO₂ equivalents (CO₂eq) or another appropriate metric. Once established, the Lufthansa Group will define and set targets. To date, neither researchers nor legislators have made a clear determination regarding the parameters to be used or the time period over which the effects are to be considered.

Energy-related targets for ground mobility have been adopted

In addition to the certified climate change mitigation targets for aircraft operations, the Lufthansa Group also aims to become carbon-neutral in ground mobility in the DACH region by 2030. However, it does not follow a defined sector-specific pathway, and these targets are not verified as compatible with the target of 1.5 degrees.

E1-5 - Energy consumption and mix

The Lufthansa Group records and analyses its global energy consumption annually. The energy consumption figures are of high significance for the Lufthansa Group, serving both as the basis for calculating its carbon footprint and for verifying the effectiveness of implemented energy reduction measures, and because the Lufthansa Group operates in sectors classified as climate-intensive. These climate-intensive sectors include both passenger and freight air transport as well as activities of Lufthansa Technik in the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) segment. An overview of the ESRS sectors is provided in ↗ ESRS 2 General disclosures - Strategy, business model and value chain.

The following table provides a detailed overview of the energy sources and their consumption across all the business areas of the Company:

In addition to the absolute energy consumption figures, the Lufthansa Group has, for the first time this reporting year, calculated the energy intensity for the climate-intensive sectors. This amounted to 2.7 KWh per euro of revenue for 2024.

A detailed description of the calculation methodologies for energy use and energy intensity can be found under ↗ Calculation methods in 2024 - Environment.

E1-6 - Gross Scopes 1, 2, 3 and Total GHG emissions

The carbon footprint in accordance with the GHG Protocol is determined annually

The Lufthansa Group calculates its carbon footprint each year. The carbon footprint of the Lufthansa Group represents the total of all carbon dioxide and other GHG emissions generated by its operations as defined by the internationally recognised GHG Protocol standards – including significant emissions from the supply chain. To establish the greatest possible level of transparency and comparability, the Lufthansa Group’s carbon footprint is verified annually by an independent external audit organisation and detailed information is provided, including by means of the Group’s participation in the recognised CDP rating scheme. However, because ESRS has been applied for the first time, there are some isolated changes in the data collection and calculation methodology. A detailed description of these changes, as well as their impact on the carbon footprint, is provided under ↗ Calculation methods in 2024 - Environment.

The carbon emissions for 2024 are presented in the following table.

For Scope 3 Category 1 and Category 5, there are significant deviations compared with the previous year. These are due to an expanded data collection methodology. Further details can be found under ↗ Calculation methods in 2024 - Environment.

In addition to the GHG emissions from fossil fuel sources, the Lufthansa Group also calculates the emissions resulting from the combustion of biogenic energy sources, particularly SAF. For 2024, these amount to 63,741 t CO2e in Scope 1. There were no biogenic emissions in Scope 2 or Scope 3.

Similar to energy intensity, this is the first year that the Lufthansa Group is reporting on carbon intensity. The amount of carbon dioxide equivalents emitted per million euros of net revenue is detailed in the following table

E1-7 – GHG removals and GHG mitigation projects financed through carbon credits

The Lufthansa Group incorporates carbon offset contributions to achieve its voluntary climate change mitigation target

Beyond the reduction defined by the SBTi targets, the Lufthansa Group aims to meet its self-imposed goal – to halve its net carbon emissions by 2030 compared with 2019. This includes voluntary carbon offsets. These offsets contribute significantly to the climate change mitigation target. The carbon offset contributions flow into a portfolio of climate change mitigation projects, which includes initiatives in various countries around the world, such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Currently, the Lufthansa Group is supported in this endeavour by the organisations myclimate, Climate Austria, SQUAKE and ClimatePartner. The project portfolio includes modern, technology-based projects such as CarbonCure’s sustainable concrete (which captures carbon and stores it longterm in concrete) and Biochar (carbon removal through plant-based biomass). In doing so, the Lufthansa Group fosters the development of the carbon offset market towards new technologies and offerings that deliver long-term carbon sequestration. This standard is recommended by the German Environment Agency. Passengers contribute through offerings for more sustainable flying, such as the Green Fares flight tariff offered by the Lufthansa Group’s airlines Lufthansa Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, SWISS, Edelweiss, Discover Airlines and Air Dolomiti. In addition to the voluntary offsetting activities described in this report, the Lufthansa Group also participates in CORSIA as a mandatory offsetting scheme in the aviation sector. In the long term, the Lufthansa Group aims to become carbon neutral by 2050 through measures such as these.

Reducing emissions through measures such as fleet modernisation, improvements in operational efficiency and the use of SAF is associated with high costs. As a sector that is difficult to decarbonise, aviation will be reliant on the use of carbon certificates in the long term.

By using carbon credits, the Lufthansa Group ensures that measures which help to prevent the generation of GHG in the first place, such as fleet modernisation, are not hindered. Investments in operational measures are prioritised over carbon credits as a reduction measure. However, based on the current state-of-the-art, further reduction measures beyond those already implemented are not economically viable for the Lufthansa Group at this time. For this reason, carbon credits are indispensable as a means of carbon offsetting. In addition, customers purchase and finance carbon credits. This means no investment funds become permanently tied up that could otherwise be allocated to other reduction measures.

All current projects in the Lufthansa Group climate change mitigation portfolio are certified to a high standard. Over 90% of these projects are verified against the Gold Standard, which is recommended by the German Environment Agency. In addition, two technology-based projects (CarbonCure’s sustainable concrete and biochar) are certified under the Puro Earth Standard and the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS). Projects by Climate Austria are certified in accordance with local Austrian standards and national environmental funding regulations. Another local project within Europe is certified under the MoorFutures Standard.

The amount of retired carbon certificates, as well as the planned amount of carbon certificates to be retired in the future, is listed in the following table. The total amount of carbon credits planned for retirement is exclusively based on contracts concluded with carbon credit providers. However, deviations between the planned values and the actual values may occur for 2025. A detailed description of the calculation methodologies can be found under ↗ Calculation methods in 2024 - Environment..

Based on the absolute amounts of retired carbon certificates presented in the above table, 10% relate to removal projects and 90% to reduction projects. 3% of the retired certificates relate to projects carried out in Europe. Moreover, the Lufthansa Group has not retired any carbon certificates that fall under Article 6 of the Paris Climate Agreement.

E1-9 – Anticipated financial effects from material physical and transition risks and potential climate-related opportunities

The Lufthansa Group is making use of the option available under ESRS 1 Paragraph 137 to omit the disclosures required under ESRS E1-9 in the first year of preparation of its consolidated non-financial statement.