How Do I Offset My Carbon Footprint from Flying?
AND ARE CARBON OFFSETS A GOOD IDEA?
By Jaclyn Tracy
Aviation produces just under one billion tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, accounting for 2.5% of global CO2 pollution. 1
In a person’s daily life, flying is by far one of the most carbon-intensive activities. One flight can produce as much carbon as driving for more than 2,000 miles.
Flights were responsible for 2.4 percent of global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions in 2018 — a figure expected to grow more than threefold by 2050. 2
6 ways to reduce your carbon footprint when flying
1. Choose direct flights
Flying nonstop rather than a bunch of connecting flights is always a better option environmentally. It’s a more direct flight route, so less miles, but also takeoff and landing are the most carbon-intensive parts of a flight.
2. Avoid first or business class
Avoid sitting in first or business class as those spacious seats take up room that could have fit more passengers.
3. Do not fly private
The average person produces about 7 metric ton of CO2 annually. Meanwhile, celebrities have emitted an average of more than 3,300 metric tons from their private jets alone so far this year, according to Yard. 1
4. Find alternative ways to travel
If you can travel alternative ways other than flying do it — i.e. train, car, boat.
5. Fly with airlines that have carbon offset programs
The following airlines all have carbon offset programs: Alaska Airlines, Delta, JetBlue, United, Air Canada and more. 3 Although, there is some criticism around how effective these programs really are due to inconsistent predictions.
6. Use carbon offsets
Donate to carbon offset organizations yourself with credible orgs such as Cool Effect.
What are carbon offsets?
Offsets seek to compensate for emissions in one area — for example, from passenger airplanes — by funding emission reductions or carbon removal somewhere else, like forests. 4
It’s all based around the idea that we can remove carbon from the atmosphere by, for example, planting trees or improving forest management. It can also look like supporting projects that help the environment and humans simultaneously, such as building cookstoves in rural communities abroad that only require half the amount of wood as a traditional stove. Less wood means less toxic smoke in the house, as well as reduced carbon emission and spared forests. 2
Are carbon offsets a good idea?
Purchasing traditional carbon offsets can be helpful, but their impact is hard to quantify.
While buying carbon offsets to make up for your travel pollution is a noble effort, it can be pointless if you’re supporting the wrong program. And there are bad ones out there. It’s smart to be skeptical of an industry that has very little regulation and a major lack of transparency. 2
The Guardian also found offset program predictions to be inconsistent and in some cases having overstated the threat to the trees.
In my honest opinion, I still think it’s worth supporting these programs as long as they are credible.
What are credible carbon offset programs?
Cool Effect is a nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals, organizations and businesses of all sizes reduce their carbon emissions then offset what remains with the highest quality carbon offsets on the planet.
Browse sites such as Green-e, Gold Standard and Cool Effect to find a reputable project to support.
Sources
1 Time
2 Washington Post
3 The Points Guy
4 New York Times
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jaclyn Tracy has over 10-years of experience in digital measurement, marketing intelligence technology and digital/social marketing. Her goal with SISTAIN is to make a greater difference by educating, activating and making sustainable consumerism not only easier, but aspirational. Working in advertising before becoming an entrepreneur, she learned that consumer behavior can be changed. She believe success is in the collective impact, getting a whole group of people to change their behavior by committing to choosing sustainable brands, less waste and imperfect progress.
