British Airways grows CO2llaborate with the introduction of carbon removal credits
On 23 November, British Airways announced a new way for customers to fly more sustainably. The British flag carrier is offering passengers an additional method through which to offset their emissions. Adding to the existing options of carbon offsets and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), passengers will now be able to purchase carbon removal credits against their flight. This can be done via the airline’s online platform CO2llaborate built in partnership with Norway-based start-up CHOOOSE.
Carrie Harris, Director of Sustainability, British Airways said:
“By choosing carbon removals projects as part of their action to address the emissions associated with flying, our customers are not only joining us on our journey to a more sustainable future, but also helping accelerate the development of the vital carbon removal industry.”
British Airways’ CO2llaborate online platform
Learn more about the carbon offset platform here.
How do carbon removal credits work?
The airline explained in a press release that carbon removal credits are issued by projects that remove CO2 from the atmosphere or from the carbon cycle, and the credits are recognised by scientists, governments, and regulators as a vital tool in helping to address climate change.
Which carbon removal projects are available?
For now, passengers can select a blend of two recognised and certified carbon removal projects. In time the airline has ambitions to add more projects to their platform.
Blue Carbon Mangrove Project
The Blue Carbon Mangrove Project is a nature-based project (where plants absorb carbon from the atmosphere through photosynthesis) in the Indus Delta Area in Pakistan. The project will support greenhouse gas removal by reforestation and revegetation of approximately 225,000 hectares of degraded tidal wetlands with mangrove and other species to absorb carbon dioxide, stabilise the area and protect the coastal area and communities.
Freres Biochar Project
The Freres Biochar project in Oregon, USA, sees the company’s biomass power production plant produce biochar, a carbon-rich charcoal-like material that is created when agricultural and wood waste is used as fuel. The process locks carbon into the solid material and prevents it from naturally decaying, locking carbon away and keeping it out of the atmosphere for several hundreds of years.
Article by Jess Brownlow
