China Southern Ranks among World‘ s Top Five in Comprehensive Sustainable Development Evaluation and Becomes the First Chinese Mainland Airline to Receive ESGAcode High-Tier Evaluation

           (Guangzhou, April 11, 2025) According to information  on the United Nations official website on April 9 Beijing time, the International Aviation Innovation Organization & Norm Airlift Resources Development Organization (IAIO-NARDO) released a comprehensive evaluation of global airlines'  sustainable development practices and strategic planning for 2024-2025. The report comprehensively assessed 350 of the world's 1,200 airlines, with 10 of them, including China Southern Airlines, ranking top 1% globally for outstanding performance. Notably, China Southern Airlines received its ESGAcode this year with a high-tier evaluation, ranking fifth globally and becoming the first airline in the Chinese mainland to receive the rating. During the 24th session of the UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration, the IAIO-NARDO representatives specifically noted: “Through strengthened top-level governance, clean energy substitution, technological innovation, and full-chain coordination, China Southern Airlines has established a green aviation ecosystem characterized by  'air-ground integration'. Its clean energy transition data is accurate and quantifiable, and its governance framework shows close alignment with international standards, providing a systematic model for the aviation industry's low-carbon transformation.”

The IAIO-NARDO's official report is based on a comprehensive evaluation based on the sustainable development practices and strategic planning of global airlines. According to the report, China Southern Airlines has built a green aviation ecosystem featuring “air-ground integration” through enhanced top-level governance, clean energy substitution, technological innovation, and full-chain coordination. Its accurate and quantifiable clean energy transition data and internationally aligned governance framework have provided a systematic paradigm for low-carbon transition practices of the aviation industry.

At the 24th session of the UN Committee of Experts on Public Administration, representatives from IAIO-NARDO shared the case of China Southern Airlines as a benchmark company in the global aviation industry. The representatives specifically highlighted China Southern Airlines' initiatives in clean energy transition, low-carbon governance mechanism, and coordinated advancement in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These endeavors include establishing leading groups for ecological and environmental protection as well as carbon peaking and carbon neutrality to coordinate green development initiatives such as energy conservation, carbon emission reduction, and carbon peaking and carbon neutrality. China Southern Airlines also issued the first white paper on green development in China's civil aviation industry, systematically planned carbon emission reduction pathways throughout air transportation process, and realized the regular refueling of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) for commercial flights to promote green energy transition. The IAIO-NARDO representatives further noted that China Southern Airlines' Industry-education Integration Training Base completed a 1.3 MW clean energy (distributed photovoltaic) project, which generates 1.26 million kWh of electricity annually, and reduces standard coal consumption by about 42 tons and carbon dioxide emissions by about 125 tons each year. On the same day, the UN website and Web TV livestreamed China Southern Airlines'  case to the world.

In recent years, China Southern has resolutely implemented the decisions of the CPC Central Committee and State Council on promoting green development and the Beautiful China initiative. Based on the actual situation of the industry, it has launched 7 major actions: flight efficiency optimization, energy conservation and carbon emission reduction on the ground, green energy transition, environmental pollution prevention, resource recycling, professional system development, and coordinated innovation exploration—all centered on aircraft energy conservation and carbon emission reduction, reduction of ground energy consumption, and green travel experience for passengers.

The high recognition of China Southern Airlines'  ESG performancefrom IAIO-NARDO fully affirms the airline's longstanding commitment to sustainable development. Moving forward, China Southern Airlines will continue to practice the philosophy of sustainability, deepen cross-industry collaboration, and jointly explore green and low-carbon solutions in the aviation industry, thus contributing further to global civil aviation's sustainable development.