Air France to begin offsetting 100% of CO2 emissions on its domestic flights on 1st January 2020

Air France has already selected 6 projects based in South America, Africa and Asia, in partnership with EcoAct.

Air France is the first airline to decide to proactively offset the emissions on its domestic flights. As of 1st January 2020, Air France customers will be able to travel throughout mainland France in a carbon-neutral way thanks to 100% offset emissions. Concretely, the CO2 emissions of 450 flights per day and 57,000 customers will be offset.

This compensation will take the form of participation in certified projects, in South America (Brazil, Peru), Africa (Kenya) and Asia (India, Cambodia), selected with EcoAct, a pioneer in carbon offsetting in France. In addition, Air France and EcoAct will develop two projects in France, within the framework of the new low-carbon label.

In liaison with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), Air France’s action will focus on reforestation, forest preservation and biodiversity, along with the development of renewable energies, while guaranteeing the protection of the most vulnerable populations. EcoAct will oversee the projects in the field and follow up the concrete benefits, notably in terms of its action against climate change, which lies at the heart of the initiative. All the projects selected have received the highest certification standards on the voluntary carbon offset market, the World Wild Fund (WWF)’s Gold Standard, VERRA’s VCS or CCBA’s additional CCB standard.

Air France will thus support, for example, the Floresta de Portel initiative in North-West Brazil, whose mission is to prevent deforestation and protect one of the planet’s richest ecosystems with the support of the local populations, with 22 million tons of CO2 equivalent at stake. Wildlife and plants will be protected and jobs created by supporting entrepreneurial projects for the creation of a local agroforestry sector.

Additional details about the other selected projects will be provided progressively at the beginning of 2020, with some of them intended to be submitted to the vote of Air France’s customers.

This voluntary offsetting initiative is part of Air France’s global commitment to reducing its environmental footprint, through its fleet renewal, its piloting practices and its partnership with the SolarImpulse foundation aimed at developing sustainable solutions for aviation. Between now and 2030, the company aims to reduce its CO2 emissions by 50% per passenger/km compared to 2005.

Air France also contributes to the carbon neutrality of its activities through emissions trading schemes implemented industry-wide – the EU-ETS in Europe and CORSIA on a global scale.