Grenchen Headquartered Luxury Watchmaker Breitling & SWISS Team Up to Endorse Sustainable Flying

Breitling and SWISS Form a Partnership to Promote Green Aviation

As part of a new partnership aimed at achieving CO2 neutrality in air travel, Breitling will purchase sustainable aviation fuel for all SWISS flights.

SWISS International Air Lines & Breitling have forged the country's first partnership of this kind. Breitling will begin buying sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) for all SWISS-operated business flights beginning in 2022.

With the purchase of the stated amount of SAF, Breitling will reduce its flight-related CO2 emissions by 80 percent. Breitling will achieve carbon neutrality for its air travel by purchasing high-quality carbon offsets to compensate for the remaining CO2 emissions.

"Sustainability is not a project for us; it is a journey to transform our business," explains Georges Kern, the CEO of Breitling. "Achieving CO2 neutrality on our business-related SWISS flights is essential to reducing our emissions and, with the purchase of SAF, making a small contribution to the aviation industry's sustainability transition, with which we have been closely linked since the 1930s."

SAF is a jet fuel alternative that closes the carbon cycle. Current SWISS SAF is composed of biogenic waste, such as used cooking oils, and emits 80% less CO2 than the alternative fossil fuel. Future synthetic fuels will nearly neutralise carbon dioxide emissions. SAF is essential for aircraft decarbonization. SAF is now only available in limited quantities, making the increase of production a need.

Breitling is the official onboard timekeeper for SWISS, which in 2021 became the first commercial airline to fly from Switzerland using SAF and is taking targeted steps to support the future growth and accessibility of SAF. In addition to paying billions to buy energy-efficient aircraft with 25% fewer carbon emissions than their predecessors, the operator is continuously upgrading its flying operations. The cooperation between Breitling and SWISS helps to the future of sustainable air travel by reducing the watchmaker's carbon footprint.

Dieter Vranckx, CEO of SWISS, stated, "Breitling's commitment to the SAF is indicative of a pioneering mentality. This kind of collaboration accelerates the development of sustainable aviation fuels and accelerates the transition to CO2-neutral flying."

Implementation of Concrete Sustainability Objectives

Breitling is gradually enhancing its materials and processes and incorporating sustainability into every aspect of its business. These efforts consist of:

Salesforce Net Zero:

To produce the precise calculations that would allow Breitling to achieve carbon neutrality across all measured emissions, the watchmaker is using Salesforce's Net Zero Cloud, a carbon accounting tool that allows enterprises to track their carbon footprint. This cloud-based sustainability solution identifies where emissions originate and how they might be reduced, enabling Breitling to hasten its participation in the Science Based Targets initiative.

Breitling was the first in the industry to invent a foldable, reusable, and environmentally friendly watch box. The packaging received the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label, which recognises products that address environmental issues without compromising economic growth. This measure corresponds with Breitling's goal of eliminating plastic waste companywide by 2025.

Outerknown ECONYL® yarn straps: Breitling has teamed with Outerknown, a sustainable clothing firm co-founded by world surfing champion Kelly Slater, to develop a collection of watch straps made from ECONYL® yarn. This resilient material consists of upcycled ghost fishing nets and other nylon ocean trash.

This non-profit organisation preserves natural biodiversity by reforesting urban environments. Since working with SUGi in 2020, Breitling has planted 17,600 trees and restored around 264 native plant species on 14,400 m2 in nine woods in seven countries.

Plastic pollution is ubiquitous across the ocean, according to Water Conservation. Breitling is a dedicated participant in Ocean Conservancy's ocean cleanup initiatives, which contribute to cleaner, healthier seas.

Carbon neutrality: Breitling aims to achieve carbon neutrality retrospectively for all of its measured emissions beginning on 1 April 2021. The brand's efforts have so far averted 4,711 tonnes of CO2e emissions*.

*CO2e refers to carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.