Etihad Airways has decided to expand its offset programme in partnership with Dutch oil and gas major Shell. The airlines’ have earlier acquired 80,000 tonnes of Carbon Offsets in November last year. In addition to the development, Etihad Airways will also allow guest to acquire additional voluntary offsets through a guest programme.
Furthermore, the airlines’ will expand its offset programme through its participation in the Shells’ carbon credit programme. The expansion of the offset programme is beyond the airlines’ original Makame Savannah REDD project in Tanzania. The expansion programme aims to diversify Etihad Airways’ push towards climate action by including projects related to Indonesia’s Katingan Mentaya and Peru’s Cordillera Azul National Park.
Tony Douglas, Etihad Aviation Group CEO, told the media, “Exactly one year ago, we committed to a sustainable future with the very real, tangible objective to be completely carbon neutral by 2050 and to reduce CO2 emissions to 50 percent of 2019 levels by 2035. Since then, the aviation industry has been completely transformed by the COVID-19 crisis, however our commitment to sustainability has never wavered. We have since introduced and led a number of industry-leading sustainability initiatives to further drive and promote carbon neutrality, of which today’s announcement is just the latest. In spite of COVID and the vulnerability of the industry, Etihad is determined to pave the path for a green recovery and commit to environmental stewardship and climate action. In that vein, as well as expanding our self-funded Carbon Offset programme, we are developing the option to allow guests to offset their own journey’s emissions.”