EasyJet to ditch landmark carbon offsetting scheme

EasyJet plans to ditch its landmark carbon offsetting scheme as it becomes one of the first companies to drop a controversial practice taken up by hundreds of groups around the world aiming to hit net zero emissions targets by 2050. The low-cost airline will instead focus on investing in new technologies to cut emissions as it stops paying to offset all carbon from its flights by the end of this year. EasyJet became one of the first major airlines to offset all of its emissions when it launched its programme in 2019. CE Johan Lundgren said the money would be better spent on new technologies, ranging from more fuel efficient aircraft to switching to greener fuels and untried technology using hydrogen to power aircraft. This will reduce its emissions by 78% by 2050, with the remaining 22% cut by using nascent carbon capture technology, yet to be used at scale. “It makes much more sense to invest into direct initiatives that reduce our own carbon intensity,” he said. “Our carbon offsetting programme has been the right thing to do . . . [but] you need to deal with your own operations, you cannot rely on out-of-sector initiatives,” he said. Carbon offsetting credits have soared in popularity in recent years as businesses have made net zero emissions commitments and customers have grown more climate conscious. The credits are each supposed to represent a tonne of carbon removed or avoided from the atmosphere, and are generated by investments in environmental projects such as tree planting schemes.<br/>