Brussels Airlines passengers can now offset their CO2 emissions

From now, all Brussels Airlines passengers can calculate their CO2 footprint via the website brusselsairlines.com/CO2. Based on international norms, the calculator will calculate the CO2 emissions of the flight in a few seconds. The programme will then offer the option of offsetting these CO2 emissions by means of a financial contribution. Passengers who choose to do so will receive a digital certificate in their mailbox as proof.

Contributions will go exclusively towards protecting the environment and supporting internationally recognised and controlled projects in Africa that help to reduce CO2 (Gold Standard/United Nations). For example, one of the projects that the contributions will go towards is the purchase of ecologically-friendly wood stoves in Uganda for the local population who continue to use wood and charcoal as fuel – a situation which has led to deforestation in the country. With these new efficient stoves, the amount of wood consumed per family can be reduced by nearly 40% and CO2 emissions reduced by 1.4 tonnes per family per year. These stoves also aid in the reduction of other damaging pollutants which frequently affect the health of women and children in Africa, and often cause breathing problems such as pneumonia, a condition from which UNICEF estimates 2 million children die annually. You can find more details about this project at brusselsairlines.com/CO2.

Voluntary

Brussels Airlines does not enforce CO2 compensation. Passengers will be invited to do so upon booking their flights, and can choose to contribute on a voluntary basis. This initiative does not have an influence on the ticket price, as the passenger decides for himself whether or not to offset his flights. This CO2 compensation programme is carried out in partnership with CO2logic. CO2logic is one of the leading organisations in Belgium for CO2 compensation that works together with various Belgian companies and organisations.

Green efforts

In the meantime, Brussels Airlines will continue its green efforts, and not shrug off its responsibility. Following its policy to use up all its fuel, and to reduce emissions safely by reducing the weight of its aircraft, as well as the introduction of wingtips on its Boeing 737 aircraft, new eco-friendly initiatives will be introduced in the following months. The carrier has put together a "b.green" working committee which has been tasked to come up with new eco-friendly initiatives. For example, Brussels Airlines, together with Brussels Airport and Belgocontrol, is currently carrying out tests to check the effectiveness of a new environment-friendly landing procedure. In the course of 2011, the weight of Airbus A319 aircraft will also be reduced by the placement of new lighter seats on board. There are also initiatives to reduce paper and energy usage in the company, and personnel are encouraged to use public transportation. Indeed, employee often use "De Lijn" public bus services to commute from the car park to their workplace. These are just a few examples of the many green projects.