British Airways has entered into a six-year agreement to acquire over £9 million in carbon removal credits, both domestically and internationally, as part of its enhanced efforts to combat climate change through 2030. The deal aims to drive forward the airline’s climate initiatives.
One innovative project in Scotland will capture CO2 emissions from whisky distilleries and convert them into building materials, while another initiative across the UK will use enhanced rock weathering to sequester carbon for millennia. British Airways is also investing in high-durability reforestation projects, expanding forested areas in Scotland and Wales, and acquiring credits from carbon capture schemes in Canada, which remove CO2 from rivers and oceans using alkaline rock. The airline is backing a biochar initiative in India that boosts soil biodiversity and supports female farmers.
In partnership with CUR8, a UK-based carbon removal specialist, British Airways has purchased 33,000 tonnes of carbon removal credits. This purchase is part of a larger strategy to stimulate growth in the carbon removal market, which scientists and governments acknowledge as essential for addressing climate change. However, the sector requires urgent expansion.
Carrie Harris, Director of Sustainability at British Airways said, “We know flying has a significant impact on the planet, and achieving net zero by 2050 requires bold, innovative action today, as well as long-term transformation, and our latest investments in carbon removals reflect this commitment. While small in comparison to our total emissions, these projects are crucial in stimulating the carbon removals market. There is no pathway to net zero for aviation without carbon removals.”
British Airways’ portfolio includes a variety of carbon removal approaches, such as storing carbon in trees, capturing CO2 directly from the air, and employing rock weathering. The airline is now the largest carbon removal purchaser in the UK and the leading airline in the sector globally, helping to accelerate advancements in this critical field.
Marta Krupinska, CEO of CUR8 said, “We’ve been proud to partner with British Airways to build a portfolio that combines the best of nature and human engineering, stretching from UK soils to the oceans and rivers of Canada. At CUR8, we bring together the world’s leading scientists and climate software to help organisations source and manage carbon removals to help de-risk their net zero future. British Airways is a leading brand that recognises that with this early investment, it can help to make an impact not only for themselves but for the industry at large.”
Since becoming the first airline group to commit to net zero emissions by 2050 in 2019, British Airways has embedded sustainability across its operations. Its focus includes setting new internal carbon reduction targets, launching a sustainability learning programme for employees, and exploring further collaborations through innovative partnerships like its recent alliance with The Earthshot Prize, which aims to spotlight and scale transformative climate solutions.
