Cathay Pacific Airways has launched "FLY greener", a new voluntary carbon offset scheme that will give passengers the opportunity to reduce their carbon footprint by offsetting the carbon emissions generated during their journey.

"FLY Greener" is the first carbon offset scheme from any Asian airline, and is also the first time that a scheme directly managed by an airline offers passengers the option of using cash or frequent flyer miles — in this case Asia Miles — to pay for their offsets.

"FLY greener" is an extension of an in-house programme that offsets the carbon emissions associated with staff travelling on business for either Cathay Pacific or Dragonair, Cathay's sister airline. Within the space of the year the in-house programme has already raised nearly HK$1-million that will be used to buy carbon offsets. To further highlight its commitment to the new offset scheme, Cathay Pacific and Dragonair will also match the contributions of their passengers dollar for dollar for the first three months of the programme.

To offset their travel, passengers can access the "FLY greener" site at the Cathay Pacific or Dragonair websites and use the online calculator to work how much it will cost to offset their emissions based on the distance of their flight and the class of travel. Flight emissions are calculated using fuel use data from the Cathay Pacific and Dragonair passenger aircraft fleets.

Passengers can buy as many offsets as they like, including for previous journeys on either Cathay Pacific or Dragonair. In all cases the voluntary payment will represent only a fraction of the ticket price.

Cathay Pacific’s Country Manager, Ed Higgs said: "Climate change is a huge issue that needs to be addressed with some urgency. It is vital we show that we are a responsible airline that is committed to being part of the solution to the problem of greenhouse gas emissions generated by the aviation industry. While aviation accounts for only two percent of global man-made carbon emissions, we support the industry's commitment to dramatically reduce emissions.”

While buying carbon offsets doesn’t reduce emissions from flying itself, it provides funding for projects that either remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere or prevent emissions being released in the first place. Carbon offsets purchased from Cathay Pacific will initially be invested in a wind farm project in Shanghai — one of the first to employ high-capacity turbines in Mainland China.

The wind farm's production of clean energy reduces the demand for coal-fired power stations in the region and helps to reduce pollution. The power generated by the turbines at this wind farm is fed into the Shanghai power grid without producing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide or other pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide and particulates. The wind farm facility also provides job opportunities for the local community.

To find out more, visit www.cathaypacific.com/flygreener.