Climeworks, a leading carbon removal company, has entered into a partnership with British Airways to offset some of the airline’s CO₂ emissions using its Direct Air Capture technology. Although the initial volume is modest, this collaboration aims to stimulate and scale the carbon removal market, which is crucial for achieving global climate goals and mitigating the impacts of climate change. British Airways becomes the third airline to join forces with Climeworks.
For the aviation sector to achieve net-zero emissions, it’s essential to remove hard-to-abate CO₂ emissions that are projected to remain by 2050. With limited alternatives to fossil fuels, carbon removal plays a vital role in addressing emissions that cannot be fully eliminated.
Carrie Harris, Director of Sustainability at British Airways said, “There is no pathway to net zero for aviation without carbon removals. We are delighted to be working with Climeworks, whose Direct Air Capture solution provides permanent, certified removals, which is a unique quality in this young industry. While a small purchase in comparison to our total emissions, we have purchased these carbon removal credits to help stimulate the carbon removals market and help lay the groundwork for the large-scale changes needed to meet our climate goals.”
Adrian Siegrist, Chief Commercial Officer at Climeworks said, “Global carbon removal capacities will not grow fast enough unless we see more ambition and concrete action from the private and public sectors. British Airways is setting a strong example with its portfolio of carbon removal solutions. We look forward to working with them, as they not only understand the magnitude of the challenge but are eager to tackle it head-on.”