Act on your carbon footprint
From the modernization of our fleet to supporting the development of sustainable aviation fuel, we are committed to the decarbonization of our operations. Join us by contributing to certified climate projects that capture, reduce, or avoid carbon emissions.
Collective Climate Action
Climate change remains one of the most pressing issues of our time. By acting on your footprint, you will help fund high quality certified carbon projects to ensure that your contribution creates a positive climate impact.
How it works
According to the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), the global aviation sector contributes between 2% and 3% of the world’s total GHG emissions.
The carbon footprint of a flight refers to the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the consumption of jet-fuel and depend largely on the aircraft used, the distance flown, and the number of passengers and cargo the aircraft carries. The different GHG emissions from a flight are converted into an equivalent impact from carbon dioxide– or kgCO2e.
Our CO2 emissions calculations are based on International Air Transport Association (IATA) Recommended Practice-RP 1726 ("RP 1726") and consider parameters such as scheduled flights, aircraft fuel consumption, seat configuration, and historical load factors for more than 400 airlines. The precision of the calculation will depend on the input data.
Carbon offset projects enable individuals and organizations to take climate action by voluntarily supporting certified third-party projects that contribute to the reduction, removal or avoidance of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Certified carbon projects issue carbon credits. Each carbon credit represents a single unit of GHG emissions (being one (1) tonne carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e)) that is reduced or removed from the atmosphere. A unit of GHG emissions can be reduced or removed through various methods or project types that advance climate action around the world (e.g. forestry projects, landfill methane recovery and destruction).
Once the verified carbon offsets are purchased, they are ‘retired’ by being taken out of circulation, blocking them for future use and thus avoiding double counting. All credits that you purchase are held on the applicable carbon registry and then “retired” on your behalf.
The certification process for a carbon offset project is robust and projects must demonstrate that they are additional, measurable, auditable, permanent, and unique. The carbon offsets made available on the CHOOOSE carbon offset site are Voluntary Emission Reduction (VER) units. The projects issuing these carbon offsets are certified to internationally recognized carbon certification standards that set requirements for the design and implementation of carbon projects, specifically the Verified Carbon Standard, the Gold Standard. The independent third-party verifications are performed by accredited verifiers and follow best practices as well as the verification criteria indicated in each specific standard.
Yes. When you offset the carbon footprint of your flight, you support climate solutions like renewable energy projects, community projects, or nature-based solutions that reduce or remove carbon emissions. A project that is certified to a credible carbon certification body and that issues carbon offsets must adhere to the principle of “additionality.” When a project demonstrates “additionality”, it means that the climate impact of that project is above and beyond any emission reductions or removals that would have happened without that project. In other words, you are not supporting a climate impact that would have taken place without the offsetting project. The additionality case is checked by third-party auditors and the respective carbon certification body at project inception.
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) describes non-conventional jet fuels produced from more sustainable resources (also referred to as feedstocks)*. While producing conventional jet fuel involves fossil fuel extraction, SAF production relies on feedstocks including waste materials from forestry and agriculture, used cooking oil, and beyond.
Put simply, the process of making SAF recycles carbon that is already in circulation as opposed to extracting additional carbon from the ground (thus releasing CO2 that has been, and would otherwise continue to be, sequestered for millions of years). As a result, SAF has a lower net carbon footprint as compared to conventional fuels. Depending on the feedstock and other specifics, SAF has the potential to meaningfully reduce the carbon intensity of flying**.
SAF acts as a ‘drop-in’ fuel, which means it is compatible with existing jet engines. It can be mixed in with or replace traditional jet fuel without changes to existing equipment. While SAF still represents less than 0.1% of global aviation fuel today, it is anticipated to play a meaningful role in decarbonizing aviation – particularly in the short and medium-term while frontier technologies like electric planes and hydrogen propulsion continue to mature to the point of commercial use.
SAF is currently much more expensive than conventional jet fuel. When you support SAF here, it helps to cover this cost difference and to accelerate the adoption and production of this important fuel source for accelerating a lower carbon future for the aviation sector.
*https://www.iata.org/contentassets/d13875e9ed784f75bac90f000760e998/saf-what-is-saf.pdf
**“Clean Skies for Tomorrow: Sustainable Aviation Fuels as a Pathway to Net-Zero Aviation,” World Economic Forum, April 21, 2021 https://www.weforum.org/reports/a356c865-311e-45ca-845d-efe5f762a820
The funds paid are used to support climate projects (SAF and verified offsets) that reduce or remove greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in an amount equivalent to that of your estimated carbon footprint. The price you pay is the total cost to deliver the carbon offset and SAF claims.
The environmental attributes associated with SAF can be tracked and sold under what is known as a "book and claim" model. Through book and claim, the sustainability attributes associated with a physical product are separated from the physical flow of that product -- this model is common in renewable energy, and you will hear about companies purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).
In aviation, book and claim enables airlines or their customers to purchase the environmental benefits associated with a specific amount of physical sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) without being connected to that physical supply. Today, SAF supply is still limited, and shipping it to specific customers is expensive and carbon intensive. Book and claim is a solution that creates a global market of suppliers and buyers, and supports the scaling of the industry. Physical SAF is delivered and used at one airport while the environmental attributes are sold, or “booked”, to another airline and end-customer who “claims” those benefits.
The aviation industry is responsible for approximately 2% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. With an understanding of this impact, the industry is working towards global targets such as Net Zero Emissions by 2050.
This offset option to act on your carbon footprint provided by Air Transat and CHOOOSE does not replace or minimize an airline’s commitments and responsibility. It is a voluntary engagement option for passengers who wish to act on the emissions associated with their journeys. Air Transat does not have any financial gain associated to this program.
This service is hosted by climate tech company CHOOOSE™. CHOOOSE delivers a platform that enables both individuals and organizations to understand their carbon emissions, make more carbon-informed decisions, and support certified climate solutions around the world. For more information, please visit www.chooose.today.