Qatar Airways and IATA work together on going green

Passengers are offered the choice to pay a little extra at the time of booking to offset the carbon footprint for the particular flight being taken. While the proceeds will go 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 of the many programmes to support with the extra they contribute.

The airline said a number of international community projects in developing nations will benefit from the programme, as the carrier moves forward with its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy.

Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said the carbon offset trading scheme was a further step by the airline to forge ahead with an environmentally-friendly programme.

“Qatar Airways is committed to engaging, creating and developing CSR programmes in the interests of the environment and the people who fly with us,” he said.

“Society worldwide is becoming ever more conscious on the impact of climate change on our daily lives. 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.“

A Qatar Airways Boeing 777

Al Baker added that Qatar Airways was investing heavily in new, modern and cleaner aircraft which, he stressed, was a concerted effort to keep the carbon emission count at its minimum and, in doing so, reduce the impact on the environment.

“Through this new scheme which Qatar Airways is engaging with IATA, we will be able to give passengers the choice to join us in helping fund projects around the world that need our help to ensure livelihoods are safeguarded and communities are sustained,” said Al Baker.

The IATA system is being developed over the next four months. Once passengers book online or through Qatar Airways or a travel agent, they will be prompted if they want to pay extra to offset the carbon footprint.

If they choose to do so, they are directed to a carbon offset website which calculates the carbon footprint for the particular sector being booked. In doing so, passengers are able to then select from a range of named international environmental projects to support.