The airline industry is significantly off track from achieving the goals set out in the Paris Agreement. Sustainable Aero Lab drew that conclusion after assessing airline sustainability commitments across five areas.

The first iteration of its Net-Zero Airline Ranking, published in summer 2024, showed “genuine commitment to net-zero ambitions being extremely limited across the board.”

United Airlines topped the ranking, partly due to “industry-leading efforts” to fund sustainable aviation. According to the report, the carrier has the “most substantial” sustainable aviation fuel offtake agreements, the most investments in relevant startups and a dedicated climate fund of $200 million. United, though, received a zero (lowest possible score) for fleet modernization.

None of the other five U.S. carriers on the list achieved a score of one (highest possible score) in any category.

Explore our coverage of sustainable aviation fuel; profiles on corporate travel sustainability at Bain, Meta and Swiss Re; and explainers on emissions reporting and carbon removal.