The latest “Most Innovative” list is out from Fast Company and the Atlanta-based Delta has been named to the list for the fifth time, coming in at number three. Delta is the only airline on the global list, noted for its work in advancing sustainable fuel technology.
“It’s our Centennial year and we’re as focused as ever on innovating for a more sustainable future of travel,” shared Delta Chief Sustainability Officer, Amelia DeLuca. “Sustainability is good for business, our people and the planet, and this recognition is a direct reflection of the hard work of Delta people across our business who are the Delta Difference on our road to net-zero emissions by 2050.”
It is the second year in a row for Delta to make the list, being named last year for its free Wi-Fi offerings, now available on nearly all Delta flights. This year’s focus on fuel technology is more on the sustainability side, something Delta has made a corporate goal for years. The airline has already signed agreements with producers to buy millions of gallons of fuel to help meet a goal of 10 percent sustainable fuel usage by 2030.
“Meaningful change doesn’t happen overnight,” said Charlotte Lollar, Director of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) at Delta. “But decisions and actions we make today are vital to securing the future of air travel. SAF is a relatively new technology and also one of the most critical levers available today to decarbonize aviation in the short and medium term. That’s why we’re working across the industry and beyond to scale it.”
SAF is still in a sort of infancy but the technology could ultimately help keep costs down in times of uncertain energy prices. In an interview earlier this year with the Financial Times, Lollar noted the increasing attention SAF is getting from venture capital but the funding still leaves something to be desired. “We see a lot of venture capital companies coming in and making investments into SAF, but they’re pretty small relative to the amount of investment that’s required to scale up a technology or a facility. Until we can start seeing more concentration of capital, we won’t see as much scale as we’d like.”
Delta joins a couple other big names on the top 10 list. Cisco is one of the world’s largest computer technology companies and was tops on the list, followed by another well-known brand in a very different industry, Land O’Lakes. Cisco was noted for their work in keeping the power on in Ukraine during the Russian invasion and Land O’Lakes got the nod for their efforts at eliminating waste and donating soon-to-expire food. Toyota also made the list at number eight for its work building a “city” – around 2,000 eventual residents – to test a variety of next gen mobility technologies. The rest of the list features companies you have most likely not heard of, like Miele, a German company that is producing a sustainable vacuum and is retrofitting old washing machines to increase their life and spread the message that repair is a better environmental practice than just trash and replace.
To catch up on the latest innovations, you can see the full list here:
https://www.fastcompany.com/91269270/corporate-social-responsibility-most-innovative-companies-2025
