Why Carbon Offsetting Your Flight Isn't Always the Greenest Choice

While planning a trip online, you frequently encounter an opportunity to compensate for the environmental impact of your travel through carbon offsets.

You might be prompted to include a minor additional charge—often less than €5—to cover part of the carbon emissions from your flight when making a reservation.

Nevertheless, carbon credit programs have frequently been criticized by scientists and climate advocates for being inadequate and potentially detrimental.

Therefore, should you opt for offsetting your flight emissions, or are there alternative ways to make your travel more environmentally friendly?

What is the process of carbon offsetting for flights all about?

During an airplane trip, the quantity of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere may be calculated .

For instance, a one-way journey from London Heathrow to Paris Charles de Gaulle produces approximately 0.32 tons of CO2.

If you opt to purchase carbon credits The concept involves compensating for your emissions by supporting initiatives that remove or sequester an equal quantity of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, typically through tree-planting projects.

The deception behind carbon offsetting programs

Many climate experts believe that carbon credits fail to significantly decrease air travel—and might actually promote more of it—if travelers assume these credits make their trips environmentally friendly and allow them to evade the dreaded consequences. flygskam or ‘flight shame.’

Carbon offsetting can only negate emissions that have already been discharged into the atmosphere; it doesn’t actually decrease these emissions, contrary to what travelers often incorrectly assume.

What’s more, many offsetting schemes have been deemed ineffective by researchers, whereas some may actually have adverse effects.

Particularly dubious are tree-planting initiatives and programs aimed at protecting forests; however, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) projects account for roughly one-quarter of the credits traded in the voluntary carbon market.

A 2023 study The study conducted by researchers at UC Berkeley found that "the current REDD+ methods probably produce credits representing only a minor portion of their stated climatic advantage."

Other inquiries have revealed that such programs could potentially lead to adverse impacts Regarding indigenous peoples and local communities who are forcibly displaced from their territories.

Legitimate carbon offsetting schemes must be verifiable and sustainable over the long term — including a plan for nurturing and maintaining the planted trees — and demonstrate that these initiatives represent additional efforts; in other words, the activities would not have occurred without this specific intervention.

What are some options instead of carbon-offsetting your flight?

Not flying The most effective approach to making a trip more environmentally friendly is by minimizing waste throughout the entire journey.

Choosing a train over a brief airplane journey within Europe can lessen your carbon output by over 85 per cent .

Thanks to Europe’s rail renaissance, long distance train journeys are quicker, more comfortable and cheaper than they’ve ever been. Use websites like Omio and Trainline to find routes and prices and book tickets.

Traveling by train can frequently be just as fast as flying since you typically don’t need to get to the railway station far ahead of time, unlike with flights. Additionally, trains usually have minimal restrictions on baggage, which lessens the anxiety associated with packing.

In addition to everything else, it's better for your health to be able to walk around a train instead of being stuck in a cramped seat on an airplane. Trains come with additional benefits such as family-friendly compartments and, during lengthy trips, cozy bunks where you can rest comfortably. This allows you to reach your destination feeling rejuvenated and avoid the expense of staying in a hotel overnight.

However, if flying becomes necessary, opt for airlines utilizing sustainable aviation fuel and select an economy seat instead of business class — as business-class travelers occupy more space, thereby generating higher carbon emissions.

Choose large commercial airplanes over smaller planes or private jets since they emit less CO2 per person when carrying more passengers.