American Airlines partners with Graphyte to reduce carbon emissions, confirming the purchase of 10,000 tons of permanent carbon removal.
American Airlines aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and utilizes various technologies to reduce its carbon footprint.

Graphyte’s Carbon Casting process removes carbon from the atmosphere by converting biomass into dense carbon blocks and storing them underground.

In the United States, American Airlines has partnered with Graphyte, a carbon removal startup backed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, to reduce its net carbon emissions. Carbon removal is an increasingly popular choice for airlines and other industries looking to reduce overall emissions or supplement existing programs until long-term solutions can be implemented.

American Airlines is up first.

The two companies announced today that American Airlines will be Graphyte’s inaugural customer. The oneworld carrier confirmed it purchased 10,000 tons of permanent carbon removal to be delivered in early 2025.

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The move is part of America’s sustainability goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. Carbon removal is one of several technologies the carrier utilizes to reduce its carbon footprint. According to the airline, American Airlines’ primary focus is to reduce emissions within its operations by using more efficient aircraft and low-carbon sustainable aviation fuel. The carrier hopes that carbon credits will play a critical role in eliminating aviation’s residual emissions and accelerate the growth of the CO2 removal market. Jill Blickstein, Chief Sustainability Officer at American, explained how the new agreement would help the airline reach its sustainability goals:

“American is focused on accelerating new low-carbon technologies to reduce aviation’s climate impact.

“Hard to abate industries like aviation will need high-quality, permanent, affordable and scalable carbon credits – including removals — to achieve our emissions reduction goals. We are excited to work with Graphyte to help them scale their important new technology.”

Photo: American Airlines

Graphyte is backed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a network of investment vehicles, philanthropic programs, and policy advocacy initiatives founded by Bill Gates in 2015 to accelerate innovation in sustainable energy and the technologies needed to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

What is carbon casting?

Graphyte’s system seeks to permanently remove carbon from the atmosphere by preserving carbon captured in plant matter by eliminating the causes of biomass decomposition, the microbes, and the water they depend on. This first commercial-scale deployment of Carbon Casting will occur at a Graphyte facility in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, strategically located near major agricultural and timber production areas.

Graphyte’s Carbon Casting process relies on readily available biomass, including crop and wood residues, that have already captured significant CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. The biomass is then dried to eliminate the microbes and water required for natural decomposition, converted into dense carbon blocks, wrapped in an environmentally safe polymer barrier, and placed in an underground storage facility. Barclay Rogers, CEO of Graphyte, highlighted how this new process can be utilized sooner than other emerging technologies:

“This is a landmark agreement for both Graphyte and American Airlines.

“It demonstrates the growing demand for affordable and scalable high-quality carbon removal credits and the ability of Carbon Casting technology to make a significant impact in the fight against climate change in the very near term.”

Once full of sequestered carbon, the storage sites can be used as solar farms or working agricultural land.