THE OFFSET DEBATE

How does offsetting work and does it mitigate the damage caused by aviation?

- TOM OTLEY

By now, we’ve all heard that climate change is happening. Whether we agree that it should be termed a climate emergency or not, we will also be aware that it is being caused by human activities, and those include transport and aviation. Whether it’s bush fires, floods, melting ice or the extinction of species, the planet is warming and the vulnerable are suffering as a result. So what should we do about it?

Carbon offsetting seems to offer one answer, and is certainly one that the airlines are pushing, with Easyjet offsetting all flights since the beginning of this year, and British Airways and Air France offsetting domestic flights. There’s a catch, however, because – as with most complicated things – offsetting starts simple and quickly gets more complex.

HOW IT WORKS

First, the simple bit. Offsetting is achieved by calculating the volume of emissions from a flight. For every 1kg of jet fuel burnt in the operational phase of the flight, approximately 3.15kg of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. Using one of the many different online calculators, you then pay to offset these emissions. Whichever programme you use will take your money and purchase carbon credits to that amount. Carbon credits are then used by projects – typically, planting trees – that reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.