Qatar Airways has signed an agreement with aviation industry body IATA to spearhead a global carbon offset trading scheme designed to help fund global environmental projects.
The airline said in a press release that under the revolutionary programme, when passengers book their tickets, they can choose to pay a little extra to offset the carbon footprint for that particular flight being taken, with proceeds going towards international programmes recognised by non-government organisations.
The IATA system calculates the carbon footprint for different flight sectors and passengers are able to select which programmes to support with the extra money they contribute.
A number of international community projects in developing nations will benefit from this programme, which is part of Qatar Airways’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy, the release said.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker further added in the statement that the carbon offset trading scheme was a step by the airline to forge ahead with an environmentally-friendly programme.
“Societies worldwide are becoming more conscious of the impact of climate change on our lives, daily. It has affected, is affecting and will continue to affect the world – and the onus is very much on the corporate world to ensure we strive towards zero carbon emissions to make the world a safer and cleaner place.
“Much has been documented by environmental groups and industry bodies over the years about the impact the aviation industry is having on society, and we must collectively address these as practically as possible,“ he said in the press release. |
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