Jetblue has joined the growing list of carriers to offset the carbon emissions from its flights.
Starting this July the low-cost carrier will offset the CO2 emissions from all of its US domestic flights, which it says will amount to offsetting between seven and eight million tonnes of carbon emissions per year, or “the annual equivalent of removing more than 1.5 million passenger vehicles from the road”.
Jetblue says it is “the first major US airline to take this critical and measurable step toward reducing its contribution to global warming”. Several European carriers have announced similar initiatives – Easyjet began offsetting emissions for all of its flights late last year, while British Airways launched a similar scheme for all domestic routes at the start of the year, as did Air France.
The carrier will partner with carbon offsetting organisations Carbonfund.org, Eco Act and South Pole to achieve its domestic offsetting goals.
Projects which the offsetting will support include landfill gas capture, forestry conservation, and the development of solar and wind farms.
In addition Jetblue says it will begin using sustainable aviation fuel on flights from San Francisco International airport later this year.
The carrier will purchase the fuel – which is 100 per cent produced from waste and residue raw materials – from Neste, the world’s largest producer of renewable diesel.
Commenting on the news Hayes, chief executive officer for Jetblue, said:
“Air travel connects people and cultures, and supports a global economy, yet we must act to limit this critical industry’s contributions to climate change.
“ We reduce where we can and offset where we can’t. By offsetting all of our domestic flying, we’re preparing our business for the lower-carbon economy that aviation – and all sectors – must plan for.”
“The airline industry is one of the few industries that has collectively committed to an international emissions reduction goal. Air travel brings so much good to the world and JetBlue has always been about making our essential industry better.
“Carbon offsetting is a bridge to, not a silver bullet for, a lower carbon future. Reducing and mitigating our greenhouse gas emissions is a fundamental aspect of our business plan and our mission to inspire humanity.”
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