Japan Airlines launches carbon offset program

On Feb 3, the JAL Group will start offering via its website a carbon offset program which will enable passengers using its flights to voluntarily offset the CO2 gases generated by their trips.

Carbon offsetting is one of the ways people can reduce their own personal environmental footprint. By calculating the CO2 emissions generated by the things we do, it is possible to purchase "credits" from a variety of emission reduction projects which wholly or partly decrease an equivalent amount of CO2 somewhere else in the world.

Japan Airlines (JAL) has teamed up with Recycle One, the Japanese agency of the CarbonNeutral Company to offer passengers a voluntary carbon offset program which gives them the option to offset the CO2 generated by their trips. The CarbonNeutral Company is the world's leading carbon consulting and carbon offsetting company, and was one of the first companies to start offering a carbon offsetting scheme to individuals.

Passengers simply click on a banner on the homepage of JAL's website which links to the CO2 CARBON OFFSET x JAL micro-site provided by Recycle One. Here passengers can calculate the CO2 emissions generated by their whole journey using the calculator provided. The amount of CO2 emitted is determined by such factors as the distance of travel, aircraft type, fuel burn, passenger load factors, and passenger to cargo ratios. The class of travel is only taken into consideration on flights of more than 3,000 km. Calculations are estimated amounts derived from a formula established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) which has been adopted by airlines around the world.

Then, passengers choose a sustainable development project they would like to support, purchasing credits to offset all or part of the CO2 emissions generated by their planned journey. They can select from around 10 projects being conducted worldwide which are focused on clean energy technology, primarily wind power related-projects.

It is possible to travel completely carbon neutral by financially contributing to a project that will reduce elsewhere in the world the equivalent amount of CO2 generated by a journey. Alternatively, it is possible to offset 50% of a journey's CO2 emissions or as much as is possible for 1, 000 yen.

Projects which customers can support utilize the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) carbon credits of the U.N., an initiative under the Kyoto Protocol that allows industrialized countries to invest in emission reduction projects in developing countries. All CO2 reductions are certified by the U.N., making the CO2 emission amounts used the most reliable in the world.

JAL decided to start offering the carbon offsetting program as part of its ongoing commitment to the environment, and in response to comments from customers who are deeply concerned about environmental protection and the prevention of global warming. The program is completely voluntary, so it us up to each passenger to decide if they would like to make a payment to offset the CO2 emissions of their journey, in order to reduce their own footprint on the environment.

© Japan Today