Qatar Airways Teams Up with IATA for Carbon Offset Scheme

Qatar Airways has signed an agreement with IATA to spearhead a global carbon offset trading scheme designed to help fund global environmental projects.

Under the programme, when passengers book their tickets, they can choose to pay a little extra to offset the carbon footprint for the particular flight being taken, with proceeds going towards international programmes recognised by non-government organisations.

The IATA system calculates the carbon footprint for different flight sectors and passengers are able to select which of the many programmes to support with the extra they contribute.

A number of international community projects in developing nations will benefit from the programme.

“Society worldwide is becoming ever more conscious on the impact of climate change on our daily lives. It has affected, is affecting and will continue to affect the world – and the onus is very much on the corporate world to ensure we strive towards zero carbon emissions to make the world a safer and cleaner place,” said Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker.

“Much has been documented by environmental groups and industry bodies over the years about the impact the aviation industry is having on society, and we must collectively address these as practically as possible.”

The IATA system is being developed over the next four months. Once passengers book online or through Qatar Airways or a travel agent, they will be prompted if they want to pay extra to offset the carbon footprint.

If they choose to do so, they are directed to a carbon offset website which calculates the carbon footprint for the particular sector being booked. In doing so, passengers are able to then select from a range of named international environmental projects to support.

Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 68 Airbus and Boeing aircraft to 84 key business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, South Asia, Far East and North America.

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