Delta Air Lines said Friday it plans to invest $1 billion over the next decade to reduce its emissions, the first major airline to make such a commitment.

"There's no challenge we face that is in greater need of innovation than environmental sustainability, and we know there is no single solution," Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in announcing the move.

The investment aims to reduce emissions across all of the US airline's operations worldwide, starting in March and lasting for 10 years.

Delta says it will invest in technologies to reduce airline CO2 emissions and waste, though it does not specify if technologies like carbon capture and removal are among the innovations it will targeting.

The aviation industry accounts for about two percent of global carbon emissions, according to Delta.

As concern grows over climate change, air carriers are aiming to drastically reduce their carbon footprint and be carbon neutral from 2020 even as air travel is expected to increase sharply in the coming years.