Greta Thunberg and ‘flight shame’ fuel carbon offset boom

Campaigning by climate activist Greta Thunberg and filmmaker-naturalist David Attenborough is persuading pollution-conscious fliers to try and mitigate the environmental damage caused by their flights. Sales of so-called carbon offsets are soaring: Myclimate, a Swiss nonprofit whose clients include Lufthansa, reported a five-fold uptake in its credits in a year. At Ryanair the number of customers making voluntary offset payments has almost doubled in 18 months. This summer’s heatwaves have boosted sales. Europe has seen rivers dry, temperature records fall and sporting events cancelled in heat scientists blame on man-made global warming. The offsets may offer a salve to the emerging “flight shame” anti-flying movement spreading from Sweden, home of 16-year-old Thunberg, who recently said she’s crossing the Atlantic by sailboat to attend a United Nations climate summit in New York. Carbon offsets are certificates that mitigate a passenger’s flight emissions by reducing greenhouse gases elsewhere in the world. The money passengers pay on top of their ticket goes to low-carbon or clean energy projects such as planting trees, installing solar panels or handing out cleaner cooking stoves. Travellers face a dizzying array of options. Some airlines offer offsets directly when you pay for your ticket, while dozens of online companies advertise personal certificates tailored to your flight. Prices vary widely, too, ranging from 10 cents per ton of carbon dioxide to more than $70, depending on the offset provider and the project being funded, according to Forest Trends Association, which provides data on voluntary carbon markets.<br/>