Air New Zealand is ditching its carbon intensity reduction targets and will withdraw from the Science Based Targets initiative. 

It planned to cut carbon intensity 28.9 percent by 2030 - but blamed a lack of fuel-efficient planes and the costs of alternative fuel for this shift in priorities.

NIWA climate scientist Sam Dean says Air New Zealand didn't have a lot of choice in this situation.

"Fundamentally, their business is about flying planes. And as they openly said - they're dependent on a whole lot of things that are out of their control."

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