Etihad Airways has shown its commitment to environmental conservation by deciding to purchase carbon offsets to neutralise the CO2 emissions of its flagship “Greenliner” 787-10 aircraft for a full year of operations in 2021. Their aim is to reduce CO2 emissions to 50 percent of 2019 levels by 2035 and to achieve full net zero emissions by 2050. Etihad will implement a voluntary offset programme for passengers via its website (etihad.com) in 2021.

Etihad will initially purchase 80,000 tonnes of CO2 offsets

This Greenliner carbon offset programme has been sourced in partnership with Respira. Respira is an international carbon offset finance house specialising in tailored offset schemes across multiple sectors. Etihad’s carbon offset project revolves around a Tanzanian forestry project and will initially purchase 80,000 tonnes of CO2 offsets. The launch of this programme goes hand in hand with Etihad’s ongoing work to develop and test Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAFs). Their goal is to make them commercially viable for widespread adoption by the industry.

Tony Douglas, Etihad Aviation Group CEO, said: “It’s encouraging to end a difficult year with such a positive move for the sustainable future of aviation. While the year brought many challenges, sustainability has remained at the top of our agenda, and the work hasn’t stopped. Expect to see more ground-breaking initiatives in 2021 as we learn the environmental lessons from initiatives with our Greenliner fleet and other sustainability initiatives”.

Ana Haurie, CEO of Respira, said: “Respira offers a fresh approach to the carbon market by aligning the interests of project developers, buyers and capital providers.  In this way we create win-win outcomes for all stakeholders.  It is a privilege to work with Etihad, which has shown real commitment to its sustainability goals through what is a challenging period for the airline industry.”

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