Key Points

EasyJet is to stop offsetting carbon emissions by its planes as it unveiled a “roadmap to net zero” emissions by 2050 including introducing hydrogen-powered jet engines.

Other elements of easyJet’s new strategy include using sustainable aviation fuel, more fuel-efficient planes and carbon capture to reach the target.

EasyJet insisted it was the most ambitious plan yet from an airline to tackle emissions, while it continued to partner with firms on exploring new technologies.

Key Excerpts

‘Last year, a joint investigation by the Guardian revealed that major airlines including easyJet were using unreliable “phantom” carbon credits to claim their flights were carbon neutral.’

‘EasyJet plans to curb CO₂ emissions by 35% per passenger kilometre by 2035 as part of its new roadmap, and said the steps it was taking had been validated by the Science-Based Targets initiative.’

‘The airline believes it can cut its own emissions by 78% by 2050, with carbon capture technology allowing it to reach net zero.’

‘“We’ve said all along that we want to transition to technologies that reduce our carbon intensity from our direct operation, that’s our key goal.”’

‘The Guardian investigation with Unearthed, Greenpeace’s investigative arm, found that the carbon credits were based on complicated and unreliable hypothetical calculations of avoided deforestation, which experts warned were not real emission reductions. The findings were fiercely criticised by Verra, the carbon offsetting standard that approved the credits.’

This article was originally published on The Guardian

Key Points

The voluntary carbon market is rife with low-quality carbon projects that are not delivering on promised climate benefits, or that have serious negative consequences for biodiversity and human rights.

Individuals and businesses, including many multinationals, are using carbon credits issued by these projects to offset their emissions. But offsetting through these kinds of credits, which flood the current market, may result in little or adverse results for the climate.

Key Excerpts

‘As detailed in a recent white paper by Compensate, 90 per cent of carbon offsetting projects using nature-based solutions – the majority of which are certified by international standards Verra or Gold Standard – fail to meet our proprietary sustainability criteria.’

‘It’s clear that there is a need to raise the bar in order for offsetting efforts to achieve actual climate impact while providing positive benefits for local communities and biodiversity.’

‘While emissions reductions should be the primary tool in this fight… [to meet the targets set by the Paris Agreement]…, carbon capture will need to play a part in removing the already excess CO2 in the atmosphere. But currently, customers of the voluntary carbon market are, in many cases, being sold empty promises.’

‘many projects… [are]… inflating baseline emissions in order to generate more carbon credits for the project, thus taking credit for what the project did not do.’

‘For carbon credits to be real, the sale of the credits needs to generate or incentivise an additional climate benefit’

This article was originally published on EuroNews