Passengers travelling through Heathrow airport are now able
to offset their flight’s emissions by purchasing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)
regardless of their airline or end destination.
The voluntary online offsetting platform is powered by climate
technology company Chooose, while the SAF purchased through the initiative is
provided by Sky NRG. The platform enables passengers to calculate their
emissions and choose what percentage to offset through SAF. The remaining emissions
are offset by certified global reforestation projects.
The initiative is part of the airport’s commitment to helping
its airline partners achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. More than 60
per cent of carriers at Heathrow have committed to using SAF for at least 10
per cent of their fuel supply by 2030, according to the airport.
Heathrow says it is the first airport in the UK to offer
passengers the chance to purchase SAF for their journeys.
The Lufthansa Group launched a similar platform in 2019
called Compensaid, which also allows global passengers to offset emissions by
purchasing SAF regardless of which airline they are using.
Matt Gorman, director of carbon strategy at Heathrow, said: “We
have a real sense of momentum behind reducing carbon emissions from flying –
with airlines, airports, fuel companies, investors and governments all coming
together to tackle the problem… the more people who talk about and use SAF, the
faster we’ll be able to scale up production and cut carbon emissions from
flying for good.”
SAF is usually made from waste and residue raw materials
such as cooking oil and has the potential to reduce carbon emissions from flights by up to 70
per cent compared to fossil fuels. However, current production levels do not meet the global demand for aviation fuel, so many airlines using SAF for commercial flights often blend it with traditional Jet A fuel. SAF is also much more expensive than its fossil fuel equivalent, according to Matteo Mirolo, aviation policy officer at clean transport campaign group Transport & Environment. These are the reasons environmental campaign groups and players within the aviation industry have called on governments to invest in scaling up production and to mandate the use of SAF to meet climate change mitigation objectives.
Last week, the UK government pledged to invest £180 million
to develop SAF plants in the country to scale up production and help the
aviation industry increase utilisation to 10 per cent by 2030.