Question 1

What Is the Relationship Between Carbon Offsets and Airline Emissions Issues?

Accepted Answer

A carbon offset is a way of compensating for GHG emissions resulting from human activities in areas such as food production and fossil fuel combustion, usually through purchasing carbon credits. Because net zero is built around reducing global emissions, organisations can buy credits in projects which draw carbon out of the atmosphere anywhere in the world. These then serve to ‘cancel out’ the emissions these organisations are responsible for. These projects may refer to manmade forms of carbon offsetting, such as Direct Air Carbon Capture. Or they may refer to nature-based solutions, which revolve around land use change, such as reforestation, so that more CO2 is drawn out of the atmosphere than produced.  Nature-based solutions are essential because they not only draw carbon out of the atmosphere but combat existing ecological hazards like deforestation, as is occurring at an alarming rate in Brazil, for example. An important point is that an offset refers to compensating for all forms of greenhouse gas emissions (such as methane and nitrous oxide), not only carbon dioxide emissions. They are referred to and measured in metric tons of carbon because carbon is the most common greenhouse gas and can be used as a standard to measure other emissions against. Critically, a carbon offset is only worthwhile if it results in genuine additionality. That is to say, the offset results in there being less carbon in the atmosphere after being purchased than if it had not been. As we shall see, this is necessary when assessing whether to purchase an offset or trust in an airline’s commitments to doing so. Historically, in order to reduce financial pressure on airlines and prevent rising prices being passed on to customers, airlines have benefitted from free carbon permits, which allow them to maintain CO2 emissions within a certain limit.  But in recent years, offsets have become more central in the fight against climate change (as outlined in a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), for example). As a result, pressure is growing on governments to end this practice for airlines and to include their emissions in future carbon budgets.

Question 2

Which Airlines Are Offering Carbon Offsets?

Accepted Answer

An important way to understand the relationship between carbon offsets and airline emissions issues is understanding which airlines offer offsets. Because of the inarguable need to reduce the carbon in the atmosphere, almost every airline these days offers carbon offsets in some form or another.  These may be in the form of the airline offsetting flights themselves, through offering customers the chance to do the same, or a mixture of both. For customers, the best place to start is probably with those airlines offering offsetting programmes directly to passengers. These allow you to easily see how much carbon your flight is emitting and that you therefore need to offset. They also provide you with a means to purchase that offset through the airline’s site. Just be sure to check if they use accredited third parties (more on this below).  However, it is important to understand that not all offsets are created equal. The real question is: How do we understand which offsets create genuine additionality in terms of GHG removals?

Question 3

What Are Some of the Issues Around Carbon Offsets?

Accepted Answer

One of the key issues around carbon offsets is that credits often use methodologies based around future predictions and are therefore an inexact science. In the case of a forestry project for example, the carbon it will ultimately compensate for will only be drawn down once the forest is fully grown. Another persistent issue revolves around inconsistencies in accounting practices such as ‘double counting,’ where an offset’s carbon mitigation is counted twice, both by the purchaser and the seller of the offset. Although the world of offsets is complex, there are certain indications that you can look for when determining whether an offset is worth purchasing or not. Perhaps the most important of these for individuals is whether or not an offsetting project is certified by an officially and internationally recognised body, such as Verra or the Gold Standard, because they are able to conduct the thorough research the individual doesn’t have time for. However, even these bodies are subject to error and there is no substitute for conducting one’s own research.

Question 4

What Are Some Other Means of Emissions Reduction Available to Airlines?

Accepted Answer

Of course, due to the complexities of ensuring carbon emissions are actually compensated for, it is better to avoid emissions in the first place wherever possible. Although emissions are an inherent part of an airline’s activities, there is a range of steps available that can be taken. One of the easiest means of mitigation available to airlines is through the use of cleaner fuels, sources such as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). SAF is made from sustainable fuel sources in the form of biomass, such as agricultural and forestry residues and various oils used for food. SAF can reduce emissions by up to 80% and is vital to reduce emissions as much as possible currently.

Question 5

Which Airlines Are the Biggest Carbon Emitters in the U.K.?

Accepted Answer

Because so much offsetting depends on results that will not be visible in the near future, the main criteria upon which we can assess airlines are related to pledges and commitments. Therefore, they’re hard to analyse. It is important, therefore, to check not only the commitments that these organisations have made but also their progress against these commitments so far. Even this doesn’t tell the whole picture though, because often the biggest emitters are the ones who are obliged to make the biggest commitments. British Airways, Easyjet, and Virgin Atlantic were all identified among the worst emitters in Europe. While all of them have detailed policies on their websites as to how they will go about becoming carbon neutral, a 2019 report from LSE indicated that Easyjet were doing the most to actually meet these commitments.

Question 6

Which Airlines are Closest to Carbon Neutral?

Accepted Answer

As can be seen, the answer is not straightforward. Different airlines make different claims, and there are various ways of assessing both their own emissions and the carbon offsets they are using.  One interesting and simple tool offered by Lufthansa and some of its affiliated airlines is a carbon neutral booking tool. This allows customers to ensure their flight is carbon neutral through a mixture of offsetting and carbon mitigation strategies, such as those discussed above.  This indicates an important point. As things stand, when considering how to reduce your own carbon footprint, the most reliable approach is through doing your research and purchasing offsets yourself, rather than going by the claims made by airlines directly.

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