Flying Carbon Neutral Continued from page 41 “During the first 18 months of the program, BP Target Neutral selected the carbon offsetting projects the contri- butions would be made to,” Jackson said. “But in 2019, we began contributing to more carbon offset projects through additional suppliers—South Pole and Vertis. Those organizations, which together now account for 88 percent of our carbon credit purchases, support UN (United Nations) certified carbon offset programs that are mainly nature-based, such as reforestation, protec- tion of wildlife habitats, or anything that would take carbon out of the atmosphere.” Jackson added that Victor’s policy of total transpar- ency extends to carbon offsetting. “We will only work with providers with the most transparency to ensure that their carbon reduction projects are effective and track- able. This gives our customers peace of mind that we are investing in carbon offsetting projects of the highest standard, which are United Nations accredited REDD+ projects,” he explained. “REDD+ activities are concerned with avoiding deforestation and degradation of forests; forest restoration; and the sustainable management of forests. The REDD+ framework optimizes the benefits from biodiversity conservation, as well as community.” At the carbon reduction program’s outset in 2018, Victor offset 25 percent of the CO2 emissions generated by its European flights. In July 2019, the company expanded its program to all of its brokered flights, with the guaran- teed purchase of two carbon credits per ton of CO2. As a result, 13,800 tons of CO2 have been offset by Victor in the last three months, equating to 200 percent for all flights booked by Victor worldwide, including the US. “To illustrate, this means that if a flight emits five tons of CO2, we will purchase 10 carbon credits,” Jackson explained. Under international standards, a minimum of one credit per ton of CO2 emissions can be purchased. At Victor, the fuel burn is calculated using the actual rout- ing provided by RocketRoute, a UK-based flight planning service that is also a sister company of Victor. “The double offset per flight is on a no-charge basis for our customers,” said Jackson. “However, we do encourage them to match that, so that each flight generates at least a 400 percent offset. The additional credits are billed to the customer, but it adds on average just 0.3 percent to the cost of their trip.” He added that eight percent of Victor’s customers matched the broker’s 200 percent contribution Aviation Business Journal | Fall 2019 just within the first two months of that option’s avail- ability. “We would like to see that increase to at least 20 percent of our flights within one year,” he said. According to a Victor press release, starting July 1, 2019, the double offsets it guarantees for each flight’s CO2 emissions will result in a savings of approximately 46,000 tons of CO2 during the next 12 months. A savings of 403,499 tons is projected for the next five years. Jackson stressed that Victor’s carbon neutral program goes beyond charter flights. In fact, the program is three- pronged. In addition to carbon credits purchased per flight, the company is working with both the industry and biofuels producer Neste to promote the growth of sustain- able aviation fuels (SAF). “We have a shared goal to see the introduction and uptake of SAF. The challenges remain—in Europe certainly—around awareness, availability of volume, price point, and distribution,” he said. “The part that we can play with Neste and other SAF producers is to help address the issue of awareness and stimulate demand where our customers can not only request SAF, but can do so with the knowledge and confidence that it is avail- able. In addition, we have a shared ambition to support and coordinate efforts to improve government under- standing and gain support for the promotion of availabil- ity and adoption of SAF with the appropriate incentives.” Victor’s third prong of carbon neutrality focuses on its day-to-day operations. Using an audit process provided by BP Target Neutral, the total CO2 footprint for the company in London and North America was calculated. This, Jackson pointed out, included all transport to and from work. In that regard, over 95 percent of Victor’s 55 employees use public transport, bike, or walk. Business related transportation, including all commercial flights, fuel, lighting, the amount of paper used, and recycling were factored in, as well. “We have reduced air travel for staff, preferring digital meetings where possible, and if not possible, the flights are carbon offset by a minimum of 200 percent,” he noted. “I have also reduced my own business travel by 75 percent in the past year to lead by example. At the same time, we have pledged to cut what we have done by another 20 percent this year—and to continue to offset all consumption by 200 percent. In fact, we are now beyond carbon neutral in all of our operations.” 43
