Carbon offsetting is the latest eco-trend sweeping the aviation industry and Norwegian is the latest airline to get behind the movement. The airline has committed to carbon-neutral operations within the next 30 years. But carbon-offsetting is just one of its eco-friendly approaches.

An indelible commitment

Norwegian has joined the carbon offsetting movement by becoming the first air carrier to sign a pledge by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The UNFCCC's Climate Neutral Now Pledge is an agreement that commits organizations to balance out their carbon emissions.

By signing the pledge, Norwegian has made a diurnal commitment to the environment. Alongside other international organizations like Sony and Microsoft, the UNFCCC says Norwegian will:

  1. Measure and report its greenhouse gas emissions
  2. Reduce its greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible
  3. Offset remaining emissions with UN Certified Emission Reductions (CERs).

Therefore, in order to meet these targets, Norwegian announced this week that it would be allowing is passengers to compensate for their CO2 emissions. The airline has partnered with a company called CHOOSE who will fund clean air projects to offset Norwegian's customer emissions. Passengers will now be able to compare carbon emissions produced when booking their flight and pay a carbon offsetting fee at the checkout.

Passengers can now compare CO2 emissions. Photo: Norwegian

 

And they will also be able to pay to offset emissions. Photo: Norwegian

In a press release, the Acting CEO of Norwegian praised the airline for the bold move. Geir Karlsen said:

We’re now putting a price on actual carbon emissions from flying, making it easy for all our customers to take climate action...emission-free flying is not possible today. Carbon offsetting is an important tool in managing today's emissions, and we know that many of our customers would like to compensate for emissions associated with their journey.”

Norwegian is hopeful about the success of its new scheme, but will it work?

Will carbon offsetting work?

We've watched multiple airlines commit to carbon neutrality over the past few months, including easyJet and British Airways. But some carbon offsetting tactics, like Austrian Airlines', have not been all that successful. Austrian has had less than 1% of its passengers pay for offsetting their carbon emissions. How can Norwegian be so sure that its project will work?

Well, the news about carbon offsetting is getting around. With more airlines adopting the movement and news and social media outlets drawing more attention to the campaign, it's likely to catch on. But what's good for Norwegian is that, regardless of whether it can convince its passengers to pay, it's investing in the environment in other ways.

Norwegian has definitely bounced right back after the pandemic as the future keeps looking brighter for the airline. Photo: Norwegian.

Norwegian's environmental promise

Acting CEO Karlsen said that Norwegian was consistently looking for ways to reduce its environmental impact. It's been named one of the most environmentally friendly airlines which it has achieved through operating one of the youngest fleets in the skies with some of the most fuel-efficient aircraft. In addition, it's also using new technologies like SkyBreathe to monitor and reduce carbon emissions.

Norwegian has a lot of the tools and strategies in place for a carbon-neutral future. We look forward to following it on its journey.

Would you pay to offset your CO2 emissions? Let us know in the comment below!