Offsets and Flying
How does flying contribute to climate change?
Flying like many other human activities consumes fossil fuels leading to emissions of carbon dioxide the principal greenhouse gas. CO2 from aviation mixes with CO2 from other sources and has a longer lifetime. At cruise altitude aviation has other climate impacts principally through the emission of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and the formation of cirrus cloud. These impacts are less well understood than that of CO2 and are also less long lived.
What is the aviation industry doing to address the impact of climate change?
The UK industry has established "Sustainable Aviation" a globally-leading initiative to address the climate impact. Many companies in the travel and tourism industry have embraced carbon offset schemes. Fuel efficiency is a major element of airline strategy for commercial as well as environmental reasons. The Advisory Council for Aeronautical Research in Europe has set stretching targets for the fuel efficiency of future new aircraft and for reducing NOx emissions. Other aspects of technology and operations are also contributing to reduced emissions and there is interest in the use of alternative fuels, at least as kerosene "extenders".
Does the CarbonOffsetsLtd calculation take into account the non-CO2 effects of aviation?
Based on our knowledge of the science (see briefly above) we believe that we should concentrate on CO2 for the time being. For example, cirrus cloud could be reduced by flying lower, but that would increase CO2 emissions. Thus, a strategy based on reducing cirrus could, paradoxically, lead to increased impact. We keep in close touch with the science and regulatory interpretation and review our position at regular intervals.
Am I offsetting emissions for the whole plane?
The calculations are based on the overall fuel consumption average (in terms of fuel consumed per tonne of payload per mile or kilometre flown) for a number of UK airlines flying different aircraft over different distances and assuming an average weight for any individual passenger plus luggage. So you are offsetting only the emissions associated with your own "share".
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