Avianca offset 97.7% of carbon dioxide emissions from its operation in Colombia between January and June of 2022, through duly certified carbon credits, the company said yesterday in a press release. The percentage is equivalent to 401.000 tons of CO2.
According to the company, it will invest a total of approximately 4.3 million dollars in emission compensation actions during this year. The sum will be invested mainly in the purchase of carbon credits. Through the acquisition of this type of tools, the airline has carried out offsetting actions since 2017.
The credits, in turn, contribute to support greenhouse gas mitigation and capture projects. In this regard, Avianca highlighted its participation in the “SKCarbono” reforestation project, which developed forest plantations in five Colombian departments. The company also collaborated with renewable energy generation projects in Huila and Santander.
“We are committed to applying the best environmental practices to reduce, mitigate and offset emissions generated in the operation”, said Andrés Muñoz, Avianca’s Environmental Management Manager. “We are proud to have visible results”, he added. He also assured that they expect to “offset approximately 480.000 tons of carbon dioxide” during the second half of the year.
Avianca’s passengers have the option of voluntarily offsetting the carbon footprint generated by their travel when making a reservation. Similar to what is already implemented by a growing number of airlines, customers can pay an amount proportional to the calculated emissions per person on a given flight. The option has been available since April this year, based on the company’s partnership with climate technology platform CHOOOSE.
