Delta Air Lines Ranked One of Nation's Greenest Companies

ATLANTA, GA -- Delta Air Lines claimed the 44th spot for U.S. companies, leading all other airlines, in the 2016 Newsweek Green Rankings.

The airline also nabbed the top airline spot for global companies, ranking 85th.

Newsweek Green Rankings assesses the 500 largest publicly-traded companies in the United States and the 500 largest publicly-traded companies globally on overall environmental performance.

"In the current global business and political climate, no company can continue to ignore its environmental footprint," said Newsweek Senior Editor Elijah Wolfson. "These rankings show that the world's biggest companies are improving when it comes to energy productivity and in limiting greenhouse gas emissions."

Specifically, Delta was cited for minimizing its environmental impact by investing in more fuel-efficient aircraft, using electric-powered tugs, updating facilities for energy efficiencies and involving employees in finding new ways to go green on the ground and in the air.

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"Delta people are implementing processes and systems to minimize our carbon footprint across the company," said Christine Boucher, Delta's managing director for global environment and sustainability. "Our ranking improved 30 spots over last year's U.S. performance and 40 spots globally, further validating the work we are doing to be more environmentally responsible and fuel efficient."

In 2016, Delta was named to Fortune's top 50 Most Admired Companies in addition to being named the most admired airline for the fifth time in six years. Additionally, Delta has ranked No.1 in the Business Travel News Annual Airline survey for five consecutive years.

Image: Delta Air Lines