Pioneering Crystal extends carbon offset programme to make flights greener
Crystal, the only major tour operator to be CarbonNeutral® since 2003, announced today that holiday prices will now include carbon offset to make flights CarbonNeutral.
There is a real difference with this programme to that offered by other companies – where the offset option may difficult to find, or involves a separate purchase through a linked website.
The carbon offset fee will be included in each invoice, and can be either: £3.25 per person (for flights to the Alps), £4.00 (to the rest of Europe) and £13 (for long-haul flights). For every 1kg of CO² produced by the flight, 1 kg is saved through carbon-saving projects around the world including solar, hydro power, and wind farms. The sum is based on the distance the holidaymakers are flying and they can opt out by deducting the carbon offset cost from their holiday confirmation if they don’t want to join the scheme.
The programme is operated by the leading climate change business, The CarbonNeutral Company (TCNC). The offset projects and programme principles will meet the CarbonNeutral Protocol, the leading quality assurance standard for voluntary action on climate change.
Stuart Mcleod, managing director Crystal says: “We led the way on carbon offset in the travel industry, making our own operations CarbonNeutral back in 2003. The larger footprint, however, is associated with the air travel of the holiday service we provide. This new scheme is equally ground breaking – ‘banded’ offset which also generates contributions which will drive further awareness and action on climate change’.
Jonathan Shopley, CEO of The CarbonNeutral Company comments: “This is a momentous step forward, for a company as large as Crystal to extends its own action on climate change, and to make it as easy as possible for its customers to do their bit. This kind of pioneering activity empowers us all to make small but critical contributions that collectively make a real difference.”
Details of projects and news will appear in all Crystal brochures and on the website:
March-August 2007 - Methane Capture Projects
February 2007 - Renewable Energy Projects and Methane Capture Projects
January 2007 - Carbon-Saving Projects and Methane Capture Projects
