Why offset your flight with us?
Each time you fly there is an impact on climate change because the fuel used by the aircraft results in the release of carbon dioxide into the upper atmosphere.
At Virgin Blue and our international airlines, Pacific Blue and Polynesian Blue, we have set ourselves the challenge to further reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and now we are offering our Guests the opportunity to offset the emissions related to flights taken on our airlines.
Our's is the first Carbon Offset Program in Australia to be approved under the Department of Climate Change's Greenhouse Friendly™ Program.
Monies collected through our optional Carbon Offset Program will be contributed to projects in Australia (for Virgin Blue flights) and New Zealand (for Pacific Blue and Polynesian Blue flights).
What is climate change/global warming and why is it a problem?
While the prevailing patterns of the Earth's climate have always changed throughout our planet's history, today the term "climate change" is generally used to refer to changes in climate patterns during the past 100 years that are increasingly thought to have been caused by human activities, such as burning fossil fuels when we drive our cars or fly in an airplane or simply using electricity generated by coal fired power plants.
These activities are increasing the levels of certain naturally occurring gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. These gases (known as "greenhouse gases") retain the heat reflected from the planet's surface which otherwise would be dissipated into space.
In the past there was a balance maintained between the amounts of such gases in the atmosphere; the amount of heat they retained in the Earth's atmosphere; and the maintenance of an acceptable average temperature across the planet to sustain life. The increase in these gases has tipped that balance and the Earth's average temperatures are steadily rising, causing dramatic changes to prevailing weather patterns (climate change). This is what is known as the "Greenhouse Effect."
What is aviation’s impact on Global Warming?
Fuel used by aircraft engines results in carbon dioxide and other substances being released to the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide contributes directly to the greenhouse effect. While other substances emitted (e.g. nitrogen oxides and water vapour) contribute to global warming, their exact impact is still not known.
Aviation is responsible for an estimated 2% of global carbon dioxide emissions. The best estimate of aviation's climate change impact is about 3.5% of the total contribution by human activities.
What is carbon offsetting?
Carbon offsetting involves investing in projects that prevent or reduce emissions being released thus counterbalancing the emissions associated with your flight. These projects must comply with stringent rules to ensure they are of the highest quality and actually deliver what they promise. Click here for more information on the certification process.
Will offsetting solve the issue of climate change?
Offsetting is only part of a balanced approach to addressing the issue of climate change. While offsetting doesn’t reduce emissions directly, it allows projects to occur that either take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or avoid its release. Offsetting also helps to raise awareness of the issue of climate change and the impact that our lifestyles have on the environment.
The only way to slow or stop temperature rise due to man made activities is to restrict the amount of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere and to examine ways to reduce our emissions as much as possible.
Is carbon offsetting a compulsory tax on my flight?
No – Virgin Blue’s Carbon Offset Program is completely voluntary. It allows you to make personal choice to offset greenhouse gas emissions related to your travel with us.
What is the airline doing to address Greenhouse Gas Emissions?
We have adopted an integrated management approach, focussing on reducing emissions and maximising efficiency, including:
- Technology: we have a young and fuel efficient fleet, we are improving efficiency through aircraft modifications such as fitting blended winglets, and we will work to encourage the development of alternative fuels.
- Operational: we are examining ways to reduce the weight carried by our aircraft and we are working with air service providers to improve aircraft routes and flight profiles.
- On the Ground: we are considering bio-fuel trial for ground vehicles and reviewing energy use in terminal and head office.
We are also demonstrating our commitment by making a financial commitment of about $2.5 million over the next five years to minimise the greenhouse impacts of our own crew and all team members travelling on company business.
How is the amount of carbon emissions from my flight calculated?
The airline has undertaken an extensive study into its greenhouse gas emissions. The emissions attributed to your seat are based on actual fuel use figures over the past year for the sector you are flying. Added to this is a component for emissions associated with ground activities associated with your flight including electricity use in the terminals and fuel used by the ground service vehicles.
These studies are required as part of the membership of the Australian Government’s Greenhouse Friendly™ Program and will be updated annually. This provides assurance that the figures we quote you are as accurate as possible, taking into account many factors that influence fuel use and emissions including weather conditions (e.g. headwinds) and air traffic requirements (e.g. holding patterns). For example, you will notice that the level of emissions calculated for a Brisbane to Perth sector is different to the emissions calculated for the return Perth to Brisbane sector – the same distance but different due to prevailing weather conditions (wind direction).
The methodology set out in the latest version of the Department of Climate Change’s publication, “National Greenhouse Accounts (NGA) Factors” is utilised to identify and calculate emissions. The factors reported in the Workbook are designed to be consistent with both international reporting frameworks and national emissions estimation methodologies. Emissions include carbon dioxide and the global warming effect of methane and nitrous oxides. While it is acknowledged that other emissions from aircraft at altitude (including nitrogen oxides and contrails) indirectly impact on global warming, these are currently not considered in calculations due to the current level of uncertainty surrounding the magnitude of their impact.
Why aren't non-CO2 impacts taken into account by the program?
As mentioned, there are other aircraft engine emissions that can contribute to climate change. Aircraft emit gases and particles directly into the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere where they have an impact on atmospheric composition. These gases and particles alter the concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide (CO2), ozone (O3), and methane (CH4); trigger formation of condensation trails (contrails); and may increase cirrus cloudiness-all of which contribute to climate change (IPCC:1999).
There is still considerable scientific uncertainty about the scale of the impact of these emissions. This is reflected in the wide range of different factors being used by the offsetting industry to attempt to account for these impacts. Virgin Blue is supporting an initiative by the Tourism and transport Forum (TTF) to produce an information paper that will educate and bring clarity on this complex subject..
How is the payment required to offset the carbon emission from my flight calculated?
This is based on the purchase price of greenhouse gas abatement projects (dollars per tonne). For flights on the Virgin Blue network we purchase abatement from projects certified under the Australian Government’s Greenhouse Friendly™ Program. For flights on the Pacific Blue or Polynesian Blue network we purchase abatement from New Zealand projects that comply with Kyoto Protocol accounting rules.
After we have calculated your seat emissions for your particular flight we multiply it by the cost of abatement per tonne to determine the final purchase price.
Note that we do not charge any administration fee for this service – 100% of your contribution goes to Greenhouse Friendly™ certified abatement projects.
Can I contribute more than what is calculated through this channel?
Currently you can only pay to offset your share of the carbon emissions from the flight you are booking (or have booked).
Are there credit card transaction charges associated with my contribution?
Yes. If you choose to offset the emissions relating to your seat on your flight with us a credit card transaction fee at the rate of 1.2% will be charged.
Is my contribution tax deductible?
As you are making a purchase, and not a donation, the payment is not tax deductible.
Can I get a receipt for my contribution?
Yes. When the transaction is finalised a receipt will be emailed to you.
Where does my money go? Which programs?
If you choose to offset a flight on the Virgin Blue network, your contribution will go towards Department of Climate Change approved Greenhouse Friendly™ Abatement Projects.
We have recently finalised an agreement with LMS Generation to provide us with high quality Greenhouse Friendly™ abatement for our offset program. LMS Generation is the first company in Australia to trade carbon credits from the combustion of landfill gas. Click here for more information about the company and their abatement projects.
Your contribution will also go towards credits generated by the Waste Composting facility operated by the Southern Metropolitan Regional Council. Click here for more information.
For more information on Greenhouse Friendly™ abatement click here.
If you choose to offset a flight on the Pacific or Polynesian Blue network, your contribution will go to Abatement Projects from the Ministry of Environment's Project to Reduce Emissions (PRE) Programme. The first project from which we have purchased credits is the Palmerston North Landfill Gas to Energy project.
For more information click on this link to the Ministry of Environment's Project to Reduce Emissions web page. Examples of types of abatement activities which may be approved under the programme include energy efficiency measures, waste diversion, generation of renewable energy and landfill gas flaring.
How do you choose which projects to fund?
We have taken a decision to support Government endorsed projects to ensure that recipient projects have undergone a certification process to verify that the projects abate the claimed amount of emissions.
Are the projects independently verified?
Yes. If your flight is on the Virgin Blue network your money is invested in greenhouse gas abatement projects in Australia which are certified under the Australian Government's Greenhouse Friendly™ Program. Under this program, abatement projects must undergo a rigorous verification process. Click here for more information on the certification process. If your flight is on the Pacific Blue or Polynesian Blue network your money is invested in greenhouse gas abatement projects in New Zealand that are endorsed by the New Zealand Government. Click here for more information.
Can I choose which program my contribution goes to?
Not at this stage, however you can be assured that only Government endorsed projects are supported. This ensures that the project has undergone a certification process to ensure that the project abates the claimed amount of greenhouse.
Does Virgin Blue make any profit from this transaction?
No. 100% of money collected through our optional Carbon Offset Program will go towards abatement projects in Australia (for Virgin Blue flights) and New Zealand (for Pacific Blue and Polynesian Blue flights). The airline covers the administration costs.
*Please note, a separate credit card transaction fee at the rate of 1.2% will apply, as will GST.
How can I be sure that the emission volume attributable to my flight listed on this website is correct?
As part of the membership process for the Australian Government’s Greenhouse Friendly™ Program, the airline has to undertake a life cycle assessment to accurately determine the greenhouse gas emissions associated with each flight. This process must be independently verified annually.
If I offset my flight, this doesn't really address the fact that emissions are still being released into the atmosphere from the aircraft I am flying on. Surely your campaign is just a cosmetic approach to a much larger problem?
At Virgin Blue and our international airlines, Pacific Blue and Polynesian Blue, we take our commitment to minimising any kind of environmental impact of our activities very seriously. To help address climate change we have implemented a range of initiatives to minimise greenhouse gas emissions and we are aiming for a further reduction of our aircraft emissions by up to 5% per aircraft by 2008.
Already we operate of Australia’s youngest fleet of fuel efficient New Generation 737 aircraft, which improve fuel efficiency through technological and operational enhancements such as the installation of winglets, reducing aircraft weight, and improved flight planning to minimise the weight of fuel carried.
We also wholeheartedly support Sir Richard Branson’s initiatives to address climate change including reduction of aircraft fuel emissions and the development of new technologies, such as fuels and airframes that will improve efficiency further.
Carbon offsetting is an important component of our environmental strategy. At the end of the day, flying results in the emission of greenhouse gases no matter how efficient we are. Offsetting is an option that allows us and our Guests to offset emissions related to flights through Government recognised abatement projects. Such projects also provide other benefits, such as improved biodiversity through forestry projects and contributing to the renewable energy industry.
We are also putting our money where our mouth is by making a financial commitment of about $2.5 million over the next five years to minimise the greenhouse impacts of our own crew and all team members travelling on company business.
As airlines, we are well aware of the complexity of the challenge of meeting demand for air travel while working to reduce aircraft emissions at the same time. We believe we can make a step in the right direction and we hope other airlines will follow.
As an airline we are well aware of the complexity of the challenge of meeting the demand for air travel whilst working to reduce aircraft emissions at the same time.
Why do different companies give different prices to offset emissions from the same flight?
We understand that other offset programs calculate emissions based on kilometres flown - this method does not take into account many factors that influence fuel use and emissions including weather conditions (e.g. headwinds) and air traffic requirements (e.g. holding patterns). You would need to ask different companies about the specifics of how they calculate emissions.
We have undertaken an extensive study into our greenhouse gas emissions. The emissions we have attributed to your seat are based on actual fuel use figures over the past year for the sector you are flying. Added to this is a component for greenhouse gas emissions associated with ground activities associated with your flight including electricity use in the terminals and fuel used by the ground service vehicles.
For example, you will notice that your seat emissions for a Brisbane to Perth sector is different to the emissions for the return Perth to Brisbane sector - same distance but different prevailing weather conditions (wind direction). These studies are required as part of the membership of the Australian Government's Greenhouse Friendly™ Program and will be updated annually to provide assurance that the figures we quote you are as accurate as possible.
Finally, many companies attempt to account for non-CO2 emissions by using various factors. As already mentioned, there is still considerable scientific uncertainty about the scale of the impact of these emissions and this is reflected in the many different values that are being applied.
