Photo: Lufthansa Group
Would you be willing to pay extra for an eco-friendly flight? It seems that some of the European airline passengers have said yes to that. After testing it out first, Lufthansa has decided to officially introduce an option called “The Green Fares,” and it claims to be the first airline group in the world to do so.
Until the highly-anticipated air taxis and hybrid regional airplanes can offer air travelers zero-emission flights, there’s another way to individually support a more sustainable commercial aviation. Lufthansa customers are now able to indirectly support the use of SAF (sustainable aviation fuel) for a lower carbon footprint, by opting for the new Green Fares.
This is one of the modern ways of feeling that you’re a responsible, eco-aware citizen – with just one click, from the comfort of your home, you can offset the CO2 emissions of your future flight. What’s the explanation behind the magic? It’s a mix between the use of SAF and something called carbon credits.
We’ve talked about carbon credits before, as a solution that some aviation operators use to compensate for their CO2 emissions. In a nutshell, they pay for these carbon emissions by funding various climate protection projects that help reduce CO2 levels. This is usually done through a third party that handles the carbon credits and connects the operators with the climate projects.
What these new Green Fares do is that they put the “power” in the hands of the customers. They get to choose whether they want to help offset the CO2 emissions this way, or not. And this is done mostly by contributing to those types of climate protection initiatives (around 80%) while the rest, up to 100% offsetting, is covered by the use of SAF.
The German operator is no stranger to the use of alternative fuels, even claiming to be the largest SAF customer in Europe. Last year, the Group has signed a purchase agreement with Shell, for the delivery of nearly two million metric tons of SAF, over the course of seven years. Shell is supposed to start supplying this green jet fuel next year.
That supply will certainly come in handy once more and more customers choose the Green Fares. Initially tested out in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway (where apparently they were a hit) these sustainable flight options will be rolled out in Europe, and for trips to North Africa.
Starting tomorrow (February 15, 2023) the new fare will already be available – the first out of a total of 730,000 flights per year that offer the Green Fares option.
This industry-first could seriously boost the German aviation Group’s target for the end of this decade: less than half carbon emissions, compared to 2019.
This is one of the modern ways of feeling that you’re a responsible, eco-aware citizen – with just one click, from the comfort of your home, you can offset the CO2 emissions of your future flight. What’s the explanation behind the magic? It’s a mix between the use of SAF and something called carbon credits.
We’ve talked about carbon credits before, as a solution that some aviation operators use to compensate for their CO2 emissions. In a nutshell, they pay for these carbon emissions by funding various climate protection projects that help reduce CO2 levels. This is usually done through a third party that handles the carbon credits and connects the operators with the climate projects.
What these new Green Fares do is that they put the “power” in the hands of the customers. They get to choose whether they want to help offset the CO2 emissions this way, or not. And this is done mostly by contributing to those types of climate protection initiatives (around 80%) while the rest, up to 100% offsetting, is covered by the use of SAF.
The German operator is no stranger to the use of alternative fuels, even claiming to be the largest SAF customer in Europe. Last year, the Group has signed a purchase agreement with Shell, for the delivery of nearly two million metric tons of SAF, over the course of seven years. Shell is supposed to start supplying this green jet fuel next year.
That supply will certainly come in handy once more and more customers choose the Green Fares. Initially tested out in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway (where apparently they were a hit) these sustainable flight options will be rolled out in Europe, and for trips to North Africa.
Starting tomorrow (February 15, 2023) the new fare will already be available – the first out of a total of 730,000 flights per year that offer the Green Fares option.
This industry-first could seriously boost the German aviation Group’s target for the end of this decade: less than half carbon emissions, compared to 2019.
Google News