Senior UN Official Praises Xiamen Airlines for Its Sustainable Development Practices

     On December 2, 2024, Ian Phillips, Director of the UN News and Media Division, Department of Global Communications, and his delegation visited Xiamen Airlines to research its cooperation in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on behalf of the Secretariat of the United Nations Headquarters, and highly appreciated Xiamen Airlines' long-term adherence to the aviation sector and continuous innovation in sustainable development practices.

      During the research, Phillips carefully learned the history of cooperation and exchange between Xiamen Airlines and the United Nations, and said that as the first airline in the world to sign a cooperation agreement with the United Nations on the SDGs, Xiamen Airlines has taken a good lead in promoting the participation of enterprises and organizations in the global development, and has provided a more concrete "China Solution" and "Civil Aviation Wisdom" for the realization of sustainable development around the world. Through this research, it was seen that Xiamen Airlines made full use of its fleet platform and resources to make more and more people understand and participate in sustainable development practices, providing a new perspective on the global communication of the SDGs. It is hoped that under the leadership of Xiamen Airlines, more Chinese enterprises will actively participate in practicing the UN SDGs and spreading the concept, and jointly help implement the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

In the Media Center at Xiamen Airlines Headquarters, Phillips entered Xiamen Airlines' live stream with great interest, interacting with online netizens and learning more about Xiamen Airlines' initiatives to promote the SDGs through the "Xiamen Airlines Farm" platform while utilizing the new business form to sell goods to help farmers through live streaming and bring high-quality agricultural products to huge numbers of families.

"Amazing!" During his stay in Xiamen, Phillips also made a special trip to Little Galley Coffee (Kulangsu) owned by Xiamen Airlines, where he was amazed to learn that the coffee cup and straw in his hand are not made of plastic, but are recycled from the store's daily output of coffee grounds, which he examined again and again. "It's really impressive!" He listened attentively to the clerk's introduction of the cooperation between Little Galley Coffee and Kulangsu, the "Plastic Battle" program, the Life Extension Program and other contents closely related to the SDGs, and took out his cell phone from time to time to take photos for records, nodding in praise frequently.

The cooperation between Xiamen Airlines and the United Nations on the SDGs began in 2017, and the cooperation has lasted for more than seven years. Over the years, Xiamen Airlines has always been firmly participating in and supporting the implementation of the SDGs, and its initiatives in promoting energy conservation and emission reduction, spreading the SDGs through themed flights, and organizing public welfare events are highly recognized by the international community, and have provided useful experience for other corporate organizations to implement and promote the SDGs together.