China’s Xiamen Airlines has committed to supporting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the United Nations announced today. In an effort to create more awareness about the goals, the airline plans to paint the exterior of one of its aircraft in a special livery, a first for the airlines industry.
“This is an extraordinary and very exciting way of broadcasting information about the global development agenda, and the first of its kind,” said UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, Cristina Gallach. “We hope millions of travellers will now gain a better insight into the Goals and how the UN is working every day to improve the lives of all.”
The agreement, which was signed at the UN headquarters in New York by Ms. Gallach and Mr. Zhao Dong, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Xiamen Airlines, underscores the airlines’ commitment to support the new development agenda, adopted by the UN’s 193 Member States in 2015 to end poverty, fight inequality and tackle climate change.
“Xiamen Airlines’ mission is to improve customer satisfaction, enhance employee value and contribute to society, as well as working for sustainable development,” said Mr. Zhao at the ceremony. “While striving for growth, we also make great contributions to green efforts, saving energy, environmental protection as well as to charities concerned with poverty and education.”
Xiamen Airlines also plans to feature the UN’s multimedia programming in its inflight entertainment and at its VIP lounges, as well as include information on the goals in its magazine. The airline, which is based in the southwestern city of Xiamen, serves over 90 destinations around the world, and carried an estimated 30 million passengers in 2016.
“Being the key player in the Chinese aviation industry, Xiamen Airlines is an active promoter of economic progress and job creation by facilitating access to markets, and development of trade, travel and tourism,” said Mr. Wu Hongbo, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs. “It is among the pioneers to safeguard our planet and together, we can make a real change.”
Also in attendance at the signing ceremony were Ambassador Liu Jieyi, the Permanent Representative of China to the UN; and Xu Haoliang, the Assistant Administrator and director for Asia and Pacific at UN Development Programme.
ABOUT THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
In September 2015, UN Member States unanimously adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, focused on the three interconnected elements of: economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection. With 17 SDGs at its core, the Agenda is universal, integrated and transformative and aims to spur actions that will end poverty, reduce inequality and tackle climate change between now and 2030.
For more information on the Sustainable Development Goals, see: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/
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