Inside Virgin Group’s Approach to SBTi Validation

Virgin Group’s climate goals have been validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), placing its entire supply chain under pressure to meet new emissions cuts across all operations by 2050.

The move ties Virgin’s environmental performance directly to a science-based framework and sets out targets for cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its value chain, including the scope 3 category that captures all supply-side and customer-related emissions.

Virgin’s sustainability goals

Virgin Group's announcement confirms that its emissions reduction targets now meet SBTi’s 1.5°C-aligned criteria. 

This signals to supply chain partners and business units that they must match the same level of ambition in their own operations.

These requirements extend across multiple sectors within Virgin’s portfolio, placing responsibility on procurement teams to engage suppliers and ensure compliance with SBTi-aligned emissions plans.

The targets include land-based emissions and removals from bioenergy feedstocks, ensuring that agriculture-related impacts in the supply chain are not excluded. 

For Virgin’s businesses, from aviation to hospitality, that means raw material sourcing, transport logistics, energy procurement and waste management must all operate under net zero requirements.

“We know that as an airline we have a pivotal role to play in protecting the planet, while connecting people across the globe and strengthening crucial trade connections,” says Shai Weiss, CEO of Virgin Atlantic.

Supply chain expectations

Aviation remains one of the most complex sectors for decarbonisation, and Virgin Atlantic plays a leading role in the Group’s carbon strategy. 

Its supply chain spans fuel suppliers, aircraft manufacturers, ground operations and inflight service providers. Each area now comes under the scope of Virgin’s SBTi validation.

Virgin Atlantic’s headline achievement in 2023 – flying the world’s first commercial transatlantic flight using 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) – serves as a supply chain case study. 

This success followed 15 years of SAF development and required upstream engagement with fuel producers and certification bodies. The airline now plans for SAF to comprise 10% of its fuel mix by 2030 and has signed offtake agreements with SAF producers.

In parallel, Virgin Atlantic has modernised its fleet, cutting aircraft emissions by 20% through newer, more efficient models. 

This involves partnerships with manufacturers like Airbus and Boeing and investment in aircraft maintenance systems to ensure peak fuel efficiency.

Cabin product suppliers also face new standards. Virgin Atlantic has removed millions of single-use plastic items from service and adopted recycled and plant-based materials. 

These include recyclable cans, pressed-board meal containers, bamboo stirrers, and uniforms made with 25% recycled plastic.

Each of these changes filters through to the companies designing, manufacturing and delivering inflight products and materials.

The SBTi pressure

The SBTi validation provides Virgin with a structure to report climate performance to investors, regulators and stakeholders, including supply chain partners. 

The Science Based Targets initiative, launched by the UN Global Compact and other environmental organisations, now serves as the standard for more than 10,000 companies globally.

With global temperatures nearing the 1.5°C threshold, the SBTi framework emphasises emissions reduction rather than offsetting. 

Virgin’s validation shows it shares this position, placing long-term focus on cutting actual emissions across its operations and those of its suppliers.

Virgin Atlantic also contributes to cross-industry groups like the UK’s Jet Zero Council and Sustainable Aviation Coalition. 

Through these, the airline collaborates with other aviation and energy companies to scale solutions such as SAF and next-generation aircraft technologies.

Shai says collaboration remains key: “Aviation is a truly global industry, and we can’t tackle this on our own. 

“That’s why we’re continuing to work closely with the UK’s Jet Zero Council and Sustainable Aviation, as well as aligning with innovation and technology partners across the industry and beyond.

“There is a long road ahead but we’re committed to pioneering change and being transparent on our progress, on our way to a low carbon future.”

Now that Virgin’s targets have been validated by the SBTi, the company can be certain it is doing enough within its supply chains to meet its sustainability targets.