SF 49ers to be 1st NFL team to use sustainable aviation fuel on United flight to LA

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- In an effort to improve our climate and environment, the San Francisco 49ers and United Airlines are partnering on a first-of-its-kind flight this weekend.

It's off to Southern California for the 49ers, with a road matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on the horizon.

But long before the team even hits the field, they will have already made history.

When their United plane touches down, they will become the first NFL team to fly to their game using sustainable aviation fuel.

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"It's not just sitting around talking about how we've got to improve on the global warming situation and stop putting so many particulates in the atmosphere as we have been, it's actually doing something about it," ABC News Aviation Analyst John Nance said.

As the world continues to look for ways to combat climate change, this SAF pilot project addresses one of the global leaders in emissions: aviation - which creates up the second most greenhouse gases of any form of travel.

United is the first airline to create a goal of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The 49ers Chief Revenue and Marketing Officer Brent Schoeb says purchasing SAF with United Airlines is an important step for the team towards reducing their carbon footprint and committing to more sustainable practices.

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SAF is an alternative to conventional jet fuel made up of renewable materials such as agricultural waste, rather than traditional fossil fuels.

Elena Givental is a lecturer for the CSU East Bay Dept. of Anthropology, Geography & Environmental Studies. She says SAF can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85% from the time it's produced until the time it's used.

That's enough to reduce approximately 150,000 metric tons of emissions, or enough to fly passengers close to 1 billion miles.

"That is a step forward," Givental said. "That sustainable aviation fuel is the first step towards the future where we can use liquid fuels which are not polluting the environment."

Nance says there's a lot of debate regarding the changeover from traditional fuels to SAF. But he says it makes a big difference and other airlines should follow suit going forward.

"In the future, there are going to be many more flights around the world and if we don't get a handle on this, we're simply going to be increasing the problem," Nance said.