PASSENGERS CAN COMPENSATE CO2 EMISSIONS PRODUCED BY THEIR FLIGHTS SUPPORTING ENVIRONMENTAL PROJECTS

Bologna Airport's commitment to sustainability issues continues, with specific attention to the environment. From today, in fact, all Marconi passengers, will be able to offset their travel’s carbon footprint by supporting environmental projects activated in different parts of the world, regardless of the airline used.

"As Bologna Airport - says CEO Nazareno Ventola - we always pursued a policy of sustainable development increasingly synergic with our business strategy, working on initiatives capable of reducing our impact on the environment. Commercial aviation contributes about 2% to global carbon emissions, even less than many other productive sectors, but nevertheless it is important for us to do our utmost to create a future in which emissions are reduced and offset. In 2019, together with 200 other European airports, we signed the "Net Zero 2050" agreement to become a "zero impact" airport. As first airport in Italy, we launch this CO2 compensation project to increase the awareness of our passengers on the issues of climate change and to offer them a concrete action, in line with others already implemented by our company".

The initiative, carried out in partnership with the Norwegian climate and technology company CHOOSE, provides Marconi passengers with an online platform, which allows them to calculate the CO2 emissions produced for each individual flight and to compensate them with a small economic contribution to support international projects for the production of renewable energy, reduction of deforestation and help for local communities. The platform is accessible from the airport's website.

The "Gold Standard" certified projects help mitigate climate change by reducing global carbon emissions and supporting the sustainable development goals of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda. All travellers offsetting their flights will receive a certificate acknowledging that the carbon emissions of the trip have been offset. 

“Research shows that a majority of travellers would now pay a premium to offset their carbon footprint when flying. We’re proud to partner with Bologna Airport who’s committing by making climate action available for all its passengers, creating a more responsible future of travel. Together, we are building travel back better”, says CEO and CHOOOSE founder Andreas Slettvoll.

In 2020, CHOOOSE industry partners and individual subscribers reduced more than 500.000 tonnes of CO2 and planted more than 150.000 trees through a portfolio of trusted climate projects.

Here the 4 climate projects chosen by Bologna Airport with CHOOOSE support:
Guacamaya Small Scale Hydropower: addresses the lack of electricity grid coverage in the rural and underdeveloped regions in Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua. Each project is providing clean electricity, constructing and maintaining local infrastructure, creating job opportunities, introducing modern technology as well as improving education in the areas.
Los Santos Wind Power Project in Cartago, Costa Rica: generates clean energy and displaces the emissions generated by the national electrical grid. It is the first wind power project to be developed in Costa Rica by a rural electrification cooperative and will educate the population on sustainable energy consumption, climate change, and biodiversity.
Water Filters in Cambodia: untreated water and poor sanitation cause diarrhoea and deaths, mostly in rural areas among children under the age of five. Boiling water significantly contributes to Cambodia’s increasing rate of deforestation. The project is providing access to clean, safe drinking water to rural Cambodian communities by locally produced ceramic water purifiers. 
Myanmar Stoves Campaign: most rural families in Myanmar are dependent on wood for cooking and heating, driving the price of wood up as the forest is disappearing. This project enables access to affordable improved cooking fuel-efficient cook stoves, lowering wood-burning and consumption.
CHOOOSE is a Norwegian climate-tech company and is currently operating in more than 70 countries. Leading travel enterprises like Lonely Planet, Bidroom, Wizz Air, Norwegian, Heathrow Airport, and Skyscanner use CHOOOSE technology to offer their clients impactful climate compensation options.
For more information and to view the platform for CO2 emissions offsetting.