Air New Zealand Backs New Zealand Nature With Its First Internationally Verified Carbon Removals

In a move to help spark a voluntary carbon market in New Zealand, Air New Zealand has committed to buy 8000 tonnes of internationally verified, New Zealand nature-based carbon removals by 2030, in partnership with My Native Forest.

My Native Forest provides a platform to invest in planting and restoring native forests across Aotearoa New Zealand in return for verified carbon removals. Carbon removals are a type of carbon credit - a tool that puts a value on removing, reducing or avoiding carbon in the atmosphere. Carbon removals are an important type of carbon credit because they take carbon out of the atmosphere, rather than simply avoiding or reducing emissions elsewhere.

Air New Zealand’s Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, Kiri Hannifin, says the partnership with My Native Forest signals the airline’s commitment to starting in its own backyard and its confidence in New Zealand’s potential for a high-quality voluntary carbon market.

“Native forest planting takes time, so it’s important to secure future supply now. As New Zealand’s national carrier, the co-benefits for biodiversity and pest control here at home in Aotearoa make this agreement even more powerful,” says Kiri Hannifin.

“Aviation is widely known as one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise. Levers like scaling Sustainable Aviation Fuel, optimising our fleet and network, and alternative propulsion aircraft are complex, expensive and heavily reliant on third parties. High-integrity carbon credits will also play a significant role in the aviation industry reaching net zero by 2050, and we think New Zealand has a lot to offer due to our international reputation, land and natural environment. Starting now helps ensure the market will be ready when we really need it.”

Through its partnership with My Native Forest, the airline has committed to 8000 tonnes of removals (including 500 in 2028, 2500 in 2029, and 5000 in 2030). The credits, each representing one tonne of carbon removed, will be verified to international standards and issued through a global registry.

Mitchell McLaughlin, co-founder of My Native Forest, says the new partnership with Air New Zealand demonstrates how carbon finance can unlock large-scale native forest restoration, with land blocks currently being considered in Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough, Tairawhiti Gisborne, Waikato, Auckland and Northland.

Air New Zealand will provide capital in return for carbon removals that would have otherwise flowed offshore. Instead, it will be directed straight into local native forests.

"This partnership shows that planting native trees is no longer just a goodwill exercise, it is a genuine, commercially viable choice for landowners. By creating an income stream that recognises integrity, we can help landowners right here in our own country to restore biodiversity, protect waterways, and build resilience into their land while also delivering high-integrity carbon removals.

“Alongside this are nurseries, contractors, pest control, and community services right across rural New Zealand. That means every tonne of carbon removed delivers benefits not just for the climate, but for people and ecosystems here in Aotearoa New Zealand.

“With corporate demand for carbon removals growing both domestically and globally, Aotearoa is well placed to play a leading role in building a voluntary market that combines strong carbon outcomes with credible and trusted biodiversity gains,” says Mitchell McLaughlin.

Air New Zealand is also in the final stages of a further commitment to purchase internationally verified nature-based carbon removals and is expecting to sign a contract with a second New Zealand-based supplier by the end of the year.

Notes:

• As part of its annual 2030 Emissions Guidance published in May 2025, Air New Zealand expects to reduce net “well-to-wake” greenhouse gas emissions from jet fuel by 20 to 25 per cent by 2030, from a 2019 baseline, including an intention to use a small volume of high integrity voluntary carbon credits. These will be removal carbon credits of approximately 11,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), to address a portion of its residual emissions in 2030. This is intended to support the development of nature-based carbon removal solutions in New Zealand, and engineered carbon removals globally. All additional carbon credits are intended to be purchased from an internationally recognised carbon registry.  
• Of the 8000 tonnes of removals from the My Native Forest Partnership, 5000 are expected to be delivered in 2030 and used towards the 11,000 tonnes in the 2030 Emissions Guidance.  The partnership with My Native Forest for the delivery of credits is contingent on the carbon removals that align with Air New Zealand’s Nature-Based Carbon Removals Position Statement and My Native Forest approving the feasibility of the projects required to deliver the credits. 

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