Cathay Pacific Cargo introduces carbon-offset programme

Cathay Pacific has extended its carbon-offset programme to Cathay Pacific Cargo to help it achieve its ambition of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The Fly Greener carbon-offset programme is powered by an integrated carbon emissions calculator. 

The carbon emissions calculator works out the carbon emissions of shipments and the cost to offset them. Customers can then make a contribution to purchase carbon offsets that come from selected carbon-offset projects, said Cathay Pacific.

All selected projects are certified under the Gold Standard to ensure their carbon reductions are verified, and come with societal and developmental benefits.

The carbon-offset programme follows the launch earlier this year of Cathay Pacific’s Corporate Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Programme, which brings SAF into Hong Kong International Airport for the first time in history.

It provides corporate customers the opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint from business travel and air cargo shipments by contributing to the use of SAF. 

General manager cargo commercial George Edmunds said: “The carbon emissions calculator is another tool we have made available to help our customers achieve their sustainability targets to make our business and our industry more sustainable.

“In tandem with our promotion and development of Sustainable Aviation Fuel capabilities, the calculator will give our customers flexibility to offset their carbon emissions via a suite of accredited carbon offset projects.”

Customers have already been able to estimate their potential carbon emissions by searching for flight connections with the emission calculator on cathaypacificcargo.com, but now registered customers using the website will be able to offset their shipments by air waybill (AWB) number.

Users can enter five AWB numbers at a time, but can submit as many applications as required over any monthly period.

The tool, which uses the latest IATA methodology, will show the volume of emissions and display the offset charge in local currency, calculated by weight, and aircraft type.

After each submission, customers will be sent a spreadsheet showing the totals carried and claimed, plus the carbon-offset calculation.

They will also receive a monthly statement displaying all submissions from the previous month and the total to be settled. Customers will then receive a certificate showing the offset total and the project they have supported, for their own sustainability auditing processes.

The monetary contributions go directly to fund third-party validated projects that help to offset the CO2 generated by shipments, through carbon credits bought by Cathay Pacific and passed on to customers at cost. The airline said it makes no profit in the carbon-offset transactions.

In the launch phase, the carbon emissions calculator will accept retrospective AWB numbers, but future iterations will see the tool built into Cathay Pacific Cargo’s digital booking and confirmation solution, Click & Ship. Customers will be able to add offsets directly to their bookings in a one-click process.

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