LATAM launches program for passengers to offset the carbon footprint of their travels

Redacción - Aviación al Día

2 years ago

As of April 25, LATAM Airlines Group passengers will have the opportunity to offset the carbon footprint generated by their air travel thanks to the new “1+1: Compensate to Conserve” program, an invitation to support the protection of the environment and ecosystems in a collaborative way, since for each ton that the customer decides to compensate, the company will compensate one more, thus doubling the positive impact on the environment and ecosystems.

Through the “My Trips” section on LATAM.com, passengers will be able to enter their flight data to know the amount of tons of C02 generated and will be able to pay to offset the calculated impact.

The contribution or payment made by passengers and LATAM will benefit the CO2Bio project, which supports the conservation and restoration of more than 500,000 hectares of floodable savannahs in the Colombian Orinoco region, whose importance lies in its high capacity to capture CO2. It also supports biodiversity conservation as it is home to more than 2,000 species, including 7 species of birds in a state of vulnerability, 5 species of endangered diurnal butterflies, and other critically endangered species. The project, which by 2030 expects to capture more than 11 million tons of CO2 , will also generate economic and social benefits for more than 700 families living in the area.

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“The magnitude of the climate change problem requires the effort of all of us, and at LATAM we are convinced that it is through collaborative work that we will be able to generate a greater impact. This is why we are launching our 1 + 1 program, through which passengers will be able to offset the carbon footprint they emit when traveling. As part of our commitment, LATAM will match the amount offset by the customer, thus doubling the impact generated for the benefit of South America’s ecosystems and biodiversity,” said Juan Jose Tohá, Director of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability at LATAM Airlines Group.

A collaborative and accessible program

The program allows passengers to offset the CO2 emissions emitted on their flights. For example, LATAM Group’s longest international route, from Sao Paulo to Frankfurt, emits approximately 0.8 tons of CO2 per passenger on a round-trip flight. Offsetting emissions on this route can cost around US$8 per person.

In Chile, the group’s longest route, the flight from Santiago to Rapa Nui, emits approximately 0.4 tons of CO2 per passenger on a round-trip flight. Offsetting this route will cost approximately US$5 per person.

In this line, the LATAM group had already provided in a first instance the possibility for its corporate clients to offset the carbon footprint of their trips and only during the year 2022, it managed to offset more than 50,000 tons of CO2, in the same modality 1+1.

The new program is part of the actions framed within the LATAM group’s sustainability strategy, which has among its goals to reduce and offset the equivalent of 50% of the group’s domestic emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.