United's emissions are rising in absolute terms while the company pursues intensity-only targets and minimal renewable energy adoption. Absolute emissions grew 5.76% year-over-year to 52.3Mt in 2024. The airline's climate lobbying actively opposes decarbonization policy, and SAF comprises just 0.3% of fuel despite greenwashing claims.
Same formula for every company. No curve. No private weighting.
SINK = (0.3 × Base + 0.7 × Performance) × ScaleStrongest on Carbon Footprint — Operations and Transparency & Accountability (7/10, 6/10). Weakest on Energy Source and Emissions Trajectory (1/10, 1/10).
11 sources used in this assessment. All publicly available. Each row shows which rubric questions it informed.
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Among the 18 major aerospace brands we've scored, United Airlines sits 17th of 18.
Score history begins 8 February 2026.
As United Airlines's score updates, the trajectory will appear here.
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United Airlines is a major U.S. carrier operating extensive domestic and international networks. Founded in 1968 and headquartered in Chicago, it is one of the world's largest airlines by revenue ($44.96B in 2022). The company operates thousands of daily flights consuming approximately 4 billion gallons of jet fuel annually.
Major U.S. carrier with similar scale and comparable decarbonization challenges in aviation sector.
View breakdown →Large airline peer offering comparison on emissions trajectory, SAF adoption rates, and climate lobbying positioning.
View breakdown →Oil major whose SAF fuel production claims face scrutiny similar to United's 0.3% SAF usage versus net-zero messaging.
View breakdown →European low-cost carrier with minimal sustainability disclosure and active climate policy opposition similar to United.
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