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The media spotlight has long been on the environmental damage caused by flying and the carbon emissions given off by airlines. The search for ways to reduce the negative impact of flying on the environment has prompted several airlines, together with aircraft manufacturers, to investigate alternatives to traditional fossil fuels. In February 2008, Virgin Atlantic operated the first commercial flight from Heathrow airport to Amsterdam with one engine powered by a 20% bio-fuel mixture of Brazilian babassu nut oil and coconut. In January 2009, Continental Airlines conducted America’s first commercial airline bio-fuel flight using a mix of 50 percent biologically-derived fuel from algae and jatropha plants and 50 percent traditional jet fuel in one engine. The search for greener alternatives continues, but while we wait for the airline industry to make a major discovery in this area, the focus has shifted to airline passengers and their responsibility to address the carbon emissions caused by their flights. Carbon dioxide is given off by the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, gas and oil. Many of our daily activities – driving, heating our homes, and of course flying – contribute to the amount of CO2 released in to the atmosphere. A way to tackle the impact of your flight is to purchase carbon offsetting, but what is carbon offsetting, how expensive is it, and can it really help? Mention carbon offsetting to some people and they automatically think of planting trees, which absorb carbon dioxide. However, many schemes aim to lower the amount of carbon dioxide produced in other parts of the world by contributing to carbon reducing schemes. To offset the carbon emissions of your flight, you will need to calculate your emissions using an online emissions calculator. These are simple and easy to use, just enter your departing airport and destination; select one way or return trip; select the number of passengers in your party, and press calculate; your total mileage, and total carbon emissions are then displayed. Once you know the total amount of CO2 you are generating, you can opt to purchase credits equivalent to that amount. Your money then goes to funding emission reducing projects throughout the world that will prevent or remove the equivalent amount of CO2 your flights have generated. For example: Some of the current carbon reducing projects available include: developing sustainable energy plants, such as wind farms, to reduce developing countries’ dependency on fossil fuels; and providing fuel efficient, wood burning stoves to reduce dependency on charcoal. Some airlines offer the option to purchase carbon offsetting when you book your flights. As with any developing market, if there’s money to be made, many companies will try to get in on the action, so you need to be aware of what companies are offering and whether your money is going to do exactly what you want it to do. To this end, a code of best practice is being developed to identify UN and EU approved projects. Carbon offsetting is not a cure for global warming and it won’t reduce the impact of your flight, but it can help to reduce carbon emissions in other parts of the world. While commercial airlines and aircraft manufacturers continue to investigate alternatives to oil, the decision whether to offset our flight’s carbon emissions is in our hands. *http://www.jpmorganclimatecare.com |
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