TBM Staff - Mumbai JetSetGo has announced targets to develop a carbon management programme to meet its goal of making flight operations carbon neutral for all its flights by 2024.
With the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation confirming a 63.5% increase in CO2 emissions by Indian airlines between 2012-19 and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) forecasting a seven-fold increase in emissions by 2050, the need for clear and decisive action by the aviation sector to address the role it plays in climate change is becoming even more critical. Whilst the pandemic is already accelerating decarbonisation goals with several aircraft manufacturers and airlines globally beginning their green journey, JetSetGo is the first aviation company in India and amongst the first private aviation companies in the world to commit to becoming carbon neutral within such a short time-frame especially during a period where the company is witnessing unprecedented growth in private flying post Covid.
The programme being implemented in partnership with Auroville Consulting, a provider of ecological and socially-responsible consultancy services, will have a two-pronged approach – reduce emissions by implementing innovative technological solutions, and neutralise the remainder through an active carbon offset strategy. To set up a carbon offsetting programme, the partnership will assess emissions from ongoing and future operations to quantify the amount of credits that need to be purchased from pre-selected socially and environmentally-beneficial carbon offset projects. The option to offset will then be offered to clients who want to voluntarily offset carbon emissions associated with their journey with any shortfall being met by JetSetGo.
As a first step, the assessment will include the company’s direct carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from flight operations. The company then plans to cover indirect and non-CO2 emissions in due course along with other key emissions categories.
Commenting on this, Kanika Tekriwal, CEO & Co-Founder of JetSetGo said, “Our DNA has always been to pursue inclusive growth and doing business more responsibly is a natural progression as we simply cannot wait until a certain scale or balance sheet size is achieved before making positive climate action a necessary way of doing business.” She also added, “We want to help our customers meet their climate goals through our carbon management programme. Our partnership with Auroville Consulting will help ensure that we focus more on substance than form to implement what we believe will be global leading practices for sustainable flying.”
Martin Scherfler, Co-Founder of Auroville Consulting said, “As climate change results in the earth heating at a rate equivalent to 5 atomic bombs per second it cannot be business as usual anymore. We are excited to be supporting JetSetGo in developing and implementing a long- term carbon management strategy that will offer climate and other benefits that support social equity. Through this multi-stakeholder engagement process, we hope this initiative will pave the way for the entire supply chain becoming green.”
Although the aviation industry, unlike many other industries, does not have the technology for it to be completely green yet, the carbon management programme will explore innovative technological solutions that can be implemented at the current juncture, such as sustainable aviation fuels and optimal flight route management, and thereby continue to reduce emissions.
