In 2024, Korean Air Lines completed a corporate carbon footprint assessment and publicly disclosed its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions according to the GHG Protocol, covering Scope 1 (direct emissions from owned or controlled sources), Scope 2 (indirect emissions from purchased energy) and Scope 3 (indirect emissions across the value chain).
Korean Air Lines has also provided a category-level breakdown for 7 out of 15 Scope 3 emissions categories, offering greater transparency into its value chain emissions.
| Metric (tCO2e) | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Scope 1 | 13,323,759.696a | 11,852,913a | 8,631,157a | |
Total Scope 2 | ||||
Unspecified Calculation Method | 99,917.798a | 45,727a | 43,301a | |
Total Scope 3 | 3,506,878a | 2,578,277a | 1,975,406a | |
Total Scope 1 Revenue Intensity (tCO2e/$M) | 1,094.0328a | 940.0644a | 771.6677a |
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In 2024, the total operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Korean Air Lines amounted to 13,423,677.494 metric tons of CO2 equivalent. This figure includes both direct emissions from owned or controlled sources (Scope 1) and indirect emissions from purchased energy (Scope 2).a
Compared to 2023, the total operational greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of Korean Air Lines increased by 12.82%, suggesting that the company faced challenges in reducing its emissions from its core operations.a
In 2024, the total Scope 1 emissions of Korean Air Lines were 13,323,759.696 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e).a
Since 2020, Korean Air Lines's Scope 1 emissions have increased by 74.7%, reflecting a rising long-term trend in Scope 1 emissions over time.ab
Compared to the previous year (2023), Korean Air Lines's Scope 1 emissions increased by 12.41%, suggesting that the company faced challenges in reducing emissions from its directly owned or controlled operations.a
In 2024, Korean Air Lines reported Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 99,917.798 tCO₂e without specifying the calculation method.a
Since 2020, Korean Air Lines's Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Unspecified Calculation Method) have increased by 105.36%, reflecting a rising long-term trend in Scope 2 emissions over time.ab
Compared to the previous year (2023), Korean Air Lines's Scope 2 emissions (Unspecified Calculation Method) rose by 118.51% in 2024, suggesting that the company faced challenges in reducing emissions from purchased electricity and energya
In 2024, Korean Air Lines reported its Scope 2 emissions using an unspecified methodology.a
In 2024, Korean Air Lines reported 3,506,878 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) of Scope 3 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, representing indirect emissions across its upstream and downstream value chain.a
The 2024 disclosure of Korean Air Lines includes a breakdown across 7 of the 15 Scope 3 categories defined by the GHG Protocol, up from 0 in 2023, reflecting improved emissions accounting practices and greater transparency across the company's value chaina
In 2024, Korean Air Lines reported total Scope 3 emissions of 3,506,878 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e).a
Approximately 81.65% of these emissions originated from upstream activities such as purchased goods and capital goods, while 18.35% came from downstream activities like product use, distribution, and end-of-life treatment.a
Since 2020, Korean Air Lines's Scope 3 emissions have increased by 116.03%, reflecting a rising long-term trend in Scope 3 emissions over time.ab
Compared to the previous year (2023), Korean Air Lines's Scope 3 emissions increased by 36.02%, suggesting that the company faced challenges in reducing emissions across its value chain.a
In 2024, Korean Air Lines reported emissions for 7 out of the 15 Scope 3 categories defined by the GHG Protocol.a
This partial disclosure allows for some insight into the company's indirect impacts.
In 2024, the largest contributors to Korean Air Lines's Scope 3 emissions were:a
In 2024, Korean Air Lines reported Scope 1 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 13,323,759.696 tCO₂e and total revenues of USD 12,179 millions. This translates into an emissions intensity of 1,094.03 tCO₂e per millions USD.a
In 2024, Korean Air Lines reported a Scope 1 emissions intensity of 1,094.03 tCO₂e per millions USD. Compared to the peer group median of 1,000.79, this places the company above its industry benchmark, indicating it is less carbon-efficient than most competitors.a
In 2024, Korean Air Lines ranked 17 out of 25 companies in its industry peer group, based on Scope 1 emissions intensity (measured in tCO₂e per millions USD).a
Korean Air Lines is therefore positioned in the mid-range of its industry, neither a clear leader nor a laggard in carbon efficiency.a
In 2024, Korean Air Lines reported a total carbon footprint of 16,930,555.494 metric tons of CO₂ equivalent (tCO₂e) across Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 emissions. This represents a 16.95% increase compared to 2023, suggesting a rise in emissions across its operations or value chain.a
The largest contributor to Korean Air Lines's total carbon footprint was Scope 1 emissions, accounting for 78.7% of the company's total carbon footprint, followed by Scope 3 emissions at 20.71%.a