Airline passengers can now pay more for carbon offset

SINGAPORE: Even as airlines recover from three years of border closures and pandemic restrictions, there are growing calls for the industry to do more to address climate change.

Airlines are responsible for over 3 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions, and more are offering climate-conscious travellers an option to reduce the environmental impact of their flight by buying carbon offsets.

Does paying extra for your airfare have any impact on the planet?

Offsetting aims to mitigate the climate damage caused by carbon emissions by paying to prevent or reduce such emissions elsewhere.

A permit or certificate that represents a reduction of a tonne of carbon dioxide emission from verified environmental projects is required to purchase carbon credits.

When a carbon credit is used to compensate for emissions produced elsewhere, it is retired or taken out of circulation and becomes a carbon offset.

Singapore Airlines SIA is one of the carriers that give travellers the option to pay an additional fee for carbon offsets. Passengers can calculate their share of carbon emissions on the airline's website and pay for offsets using cash or frequent flyer miles.

A passenger on a return economy class flight from Singapore to London can pay S $21.86 to offset 1,682 on a return economy class flight. Carbon dioxide emissions are 3 kg.

100 per cent of the funds will go towards preserving rainforests in Indonesia, solar energy projects in India and distributing clean-burning cooking stoves in rural parts of Nepal.

Other major airlines with similar carbon offset programs include Cathay Pacific, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa and All Nippon Airways.

More than 50 airlines, including half of the world's 20 largest carriers, are currently doing so, according to figures from Geneva-based industry association Air Transport Action Group.

The take-up rate has not been high with these carbon offset schemes being voluntary, according to experts.

According to Haldane Dodd, Air Transport Action Group executive director, Haldane Dodd, said that uptake varies based on the airlines, but generally it is very low under 5 per cent of passengers choosing to offset their emissions through the airlines.

The experts that CNA spoke to were not surprised, noting that most consumers would perceive this to be an additional cost eating into their travel budgets.

They said that rising airfares and inflation fears have made travellers more cost-conscious, even as the pandemic has raised awareness about green consumption.