http://www.britishairways.com/press/
British Airways - Press Office
Date
15/01/2008
Green initiative launched
British Airways took fresh steps today to intensify its work in
limiting aviation's impact on climate change.
The airline unveiled a new carbon offset scheme, and backing for
deforestation prevention in Brazil and research into the effects of
aircraft's non-carbon emissions.
The upgraded offset scheme uses UN certified emissions reductions to
help finance clean energy projects in developing countries.
Customers offsetting their flight emissions will be supporting a new
windfarm in one of the poorest regions of China, as well as
run-of-the-river hydro electric plants in China and Brazil.
The scheme is more user-friendly with customers able to buy their
offset in one transaction when they book their flight on ba.com.
Hilary Benn, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary, welcomed
the scheme: 'After avoiding and reducing our emissions, offsetting
has a role to play in helping us all to tackle climate change. That's
why Government has been working to set up a code of best practice for
companies who sell carbon offsetting,' he said.
`I hope this welcome scheme will encourage BA customers to offset
their flights and so help to tackle emissions from aviation.'
In addition to the offset scheme, British Airways is to invest in a
range of projects to help protect the Brazilian rainforest and improve
understanding of ways of combating one of the largest sources of
greenhouse gases.
British Airways will also back work led by Cambridge University aimed
at establishing robust scientific understanding of the non-CO2 effects
of aviation by 2012.
Silla Maizey, head of corporate responsibility, said the new
initiatives underlined the seriousness of the airline's commitment to
tackling climate change.
She went on: `We were the first airline to offer carbon offsets, and
we intend to remain at the forefront in this area.
`Customers will find our new scheme a simple one-click process on ba.com.
`The UN framework guarantees that offset payments will lead to genuine
reductions in emissions through the projects we have chosen with our
new provider, Morgan Stanley.
`We need a broad response to climate change: controlling our emissions
with cleaner aircraft, the inclusion of aviation in emissions trading
and the setting of tough international emissions targets.
`Offsetting is closely related to emissions trading. It is valuable in
itself and improves general understanding of how carbon trading works.
`We are also very pleased to help protect valuable rainforests, and
address one of the most crucial factors in global warming.
`The work at Cambridge will examine another important aspect of
climate change and underlines the breadth of our approach to the
whole issue.'
End
January 15, 2008 006/PM/08
Notes to Editors:
The projects supported by the new offset scheme include run-of-river
hydro-electric power plants in the Santa Catarina region of Brazil and
Gansu province, China; and a wind farm in China's Ningxia province.
The scheme will be run with Morgan Stanley, leading providers in the
sourcing of certified emissions reductions from projects developed
under the UN Kyoto Protocol.
Customers can buy their offset on ba.com at the same time as they book
their flight. The approximate offset cost for a return London-Paris
flight would be £1.60, London-Frankfurt £3, London-Lisbon £5,
London-New York £17 and London-San Francisco £26.
The offset goes live on ba.com this afternoon.
The deforestation prevention programme is scheduled to begin in the
spring. Global Canopy reported last year that the contribution of
deforestation to worldwide carbon emissions is between 18 and 25 per
cent, second only to power generation. Aviation contributes two per cent.
British Airways will sponsor a series of workshops organised by
Cambridge University to assess research needs in the drive to achieve
scientifically robust understanding of aircraft non-CO2 effects by 2012.
For further information, contact the British Airways press office on
020 8738 5100 or Carlos Melville of Morgan Stanley on 020 7425 8955.
For wider information about British Airways' environmental record and
policies, click on http://www.ba.com/cr
