About OpenSkies / Sustainable Development
Green Policy
The earth greener, the skies cleaner
Actions always speak louder than words. And with our actions, we intend to show our commitment to reducing, offsetting, and eliminating waste and mitigating our carbon footprint.
As part of the British Airways family, we support and participate in carbon trading and offsetting, which is just a fancy way of saying we're cutting emissions and investing in clean technology or renewable energy to reduce CO2 emissions. Even small improvements can make a big difference, like adding winglets to each of our Boeing 757 planes. The already fuel-efficient planes now save up to 4% more fuel per flight.
A sound plan
Noise reduction and air quality rank high on our list of concerns as well. We are testing new technology aimed at reducing our impact and we've also made substantial investments in newer, more efficient vehicles for ground staff and operations.
Being green is both good for business and the air we breathe.
Curbing Waste
We're out to end waste. By 2010, we aim to recycle half of the waste we generate. We will work directly with our suppliers to eliminate excessive packaging and food waste in an effort to fulfill our commitment.
Carbon Offsetting
Each time we take a flight or travel in a car, carbon dioxide (CO2) is emitted into the atmosphere. CO2 is a greenhouse gas that is released when fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal are burned.
A certain amount of greenhouse gases are a good thing: the earth is surrounded by a blanket of greenhouse gases that keep the surface of our planet at the right temperature and help sustain life. However, if we release too much greenhouse gas, the blanket gets thicker and the Earth's atmosphere gets warmer. This is why our climate is changing.
Air travel also has other effects on the environment besides the release of CO2 into the atmosphere, including:
- ethane destruction
- ozone production
- cloud formation
Find out more
OpenSkies is committed to looking for ways to improve operating efficiencies, contributing to a sustainable environment, including improving fuel efficiency and reducing our carbon footprint, both within our own company and across our entire industry.
Examples include the installation of winglets on our B757 aircraft. We estimate fuel savings of as much as 4% of fuel burn, making a significant contribution to reducing our fuel consumption, in addition to good-neighbor noise reduction.
Allowing passengers to offset the effects of their journey through OpenSkies
OpenSkies offers you the opportunity to purchase carbon offsets for your journey by calling our reservations department. We are pleased to add it to your reservation at the time of booking when you book via phone or online.
Contributions are automatically calculated for you based on the volume of carbon dioxide your flight produces and the cost of carbon credits per ton at the time of your booking. The payment is made at the time of your reservation, safely and securely via credit or debit card, with all proceeds going towards certified carbon emission projects.
How Carbon Offsetting works
How does carbon offsetting work?
The money you pay to offset the emissions from your flight is used to buy and cancel carbon credits that are registered and verified through the United Nations Kyoto Protocol. These carbon credits balance the effect of your CO2 emissions by funding projects that reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.
Where does your money go?
Your money goes toward supporting projects in developing countries and typically funds new sources of renewable energy and promotes energy-efficiency projects. In addition to balancing your CO2, the projects we have chosen must also bring social and economic benefits to the communities in which they are based. Often, they also bring about health benefits from improvements to local air quality.
What are the projects?
Morgan Stanley funds emission-reduction projects in developing countries across the world and maintains a portfolio of carbon credits on behalf of British Airways customers. The locations of the projects selected reflect the global nature of our business.
Investing in renewable wind power in China
This UN Kyoto Protocol wind farm project in the Ningxia region of China will supply electricity to the second poorest region in the country. The Dalisi wind farm aims to save over 78,000 tons of CO2 a year, the equivalent of taking 17,000 cars off the road each year. The wind farm also aims to work with local communities to provide more jobs and reduce poverty in the region. Find out about the Ningxia Dalisi Wind Farm in China [link?]
How your carbon offset contribution is calculated?
There are two key elements that help us make our calculation for the suggested carbon offset contribution for your flights:
- The amount of CO2 produced from your flight
- The cost of certified emission reduction
We calculate the CO2 of your flight using UK Government data for the carbon emissions for air travel. This tells us how much CO2 is produced for each kilometer of travel. The further you travel, the lower the amount, as flying longer distances is more fuel-efficient. For example:
| From | To | Distance in km | Kg of C02 per km | Number of passengers | Tonnes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris - ORY | New York - EWR | 5849 | x 0.105 | x 1 | = 0.6141 |
| The carbon footprint for your journey is 0.6141 | |||||
Cost of certified emission reduction
The cost of the certified emission reduction price of the offset is based on the market price, which may change from time to time due to supply and demand and currency exchange rates.
Morgan Stanley, experts in sourcing certified emission reductions, will use your payment to fund a portfolio of projects. The cost of these projects is US$22.70 per ton.
Please be aware that once you purchase a carbon offset, it cannot be refunded.