Europe’s leading airline easyJet has launched carbon emissions reporting for its corporate customers, to help businesses measure the impact of the carbon emissions offsetting when flying with easyJet, and the resulting cost savings for their business travel programmes. The airline has issued the first certificates to its largest corporate customers across Europe this week.
The reports – believed to be an industry first - share facts, based on real flown data to enable companies to the measure the carbon emissions offset when flying with easyJet and to help them set objectives for future travel. The reports will also help businesses to identify cost savings made as easyJet offsets the carbon emissions from the fuel used for all its flights, at no extra cost to its customers.
easyJet is the only major European airline to offset the carbon emissions from the fuel used for all its flights at no additional cost to its customers and only support projects that are certified by Gold Standard or the Verified Carbon Standard, which are internationally recognised certification schemes.
The reports also provide information about the projects that the airline supports through its carbon offsetting programme, as well as the airline’s wider sustainability work. easyJet is already working with a number of industry-leading partners including Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Cranfield Aerospace Solutions and Wright Electric, to accelerate the development of zero-emission aircraft technology and supporting infrastructure for the future of flying. The airline is optimistic that it could begin flying customers on planes powered by hydrogen-combustion, hydrogen-electric or a hybrid of both by the mid to late-2030s.
easyJet flew more than three million business customers in FY21 and has seen business travel returning, more quickly than expected. SME’s have always flown disproportionately on easyJet while corporates are looking for value as well as airlines which help them to reduce their carbon footprint.
James Marchant, Senior Business Development Manager for easyJet commented:
“We can see that businesses are travelling again, and they are looking not only for value but for airlines like easyJet which help them to reduce their carbon footprint. And, as we have seen in previous downturns, easyJet is expected to disproportionately attract more business travel, with corporates and SMEs attracted by our value, network and approach to sustainability.
"So, we are delighted to be launching our carbon certificates for our corporate customers to help them better understand their businesses’ carbon impact, make even more informed flying choices from a sustainability perspective, as well as easily identify cost savings which come as a result of easyJet being the only major European airline to offset the carbon emissions from the fuel used on our flights across our entire network, at no extra cost to any of our customers.
“easyJet remains absolutely committed to flying as efficiently as we can today and working towards a future with zero-emission flying and we know that technology is a key driver to achieve our decarbonisation targets. We are working with industry leading partners to support the development of promising new technologies, such as hydrogen, to help bringing these to maturity as early as possible.”
Clive Wratten, Chief Executive of The Business Travel Association commented:
“The business travel community has a vital role to play in ensuring that organisations can accurately measure and address their carbon footprints. Transport providers such as airlines are integral to this process, and we welcome any initiative, such as this one from easyJet, that helps British business take a more sustainable approach to travel.”
Championing the development of a zero-emission aircraft to de-carbonise aviation has long been a focus for easyJet and the airline is working with partners across the industry like Cranfield, as well as Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Wright Electric, to accelerate the development of zero-emission technologies.
Last year, the airline announced that it has joined Race to Zero, a global UN-backed campaign to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 at the latest. In joining Race to Zero, the airline is committing to set an interim science-based target for 2035 as well as to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, of which technology for zero carbon emission flying will play an important part.
In 2019, it became the first major airline worldwide to offset the carbon emissions from the fuel used for all its flights, and currently remains the only major airline in Europe to do so. This comes at no additional cost to its customers and the airline only supports projects that are certified by either Gold Standard or Verified Carbon Standard. This is an interim measure while new technologies are developed.
Beyond carbon, easyJet is focusing on reducing plastic – more than 36 million single-use plastic items were eliminated – as well as reducing waste within its wider operations and the supply chain. The airline recently introduced new crew uniforms made from recycled plastic bottles. With 45 bottles in each uniform this has the potential to prevent 2.7 million plastic bottles from ending up in landfill or in oceans over the next five years.
ENDS
For further information on easyJet, please contact the easyJet Press Office on 01582 525252, log onto www.easyJet.com or follow @easyJet_Press
About easyJet:
easyJet is Europe’s leading airline offering a unique and winning combination of the best route network connecting Europe's primary airports, with great value fares and friendly service.
easyJet flies on more of Europe’s most popular routes than any other airline and carried more than 96 million passengers in 2019 – more than 16 million travelling for business. The airline has over 300 aircraft on nearly 1000 routes to more than 150 airports across 35 countries. Over 300 million Europeans live within one hour's drive of an easyJet airport.
easyJet aims to be a good corporate citizen, employing people on local contracts in eight countries across Europe in full compliance with national laws and recognising their trade unions. The airline supports several local charities and has a corporate partnership with UNICEF which has raised over £14m for the most vulnerable children since it was established in 2012.
The airline takes sustainability seriously and is committed to reaching net-zero carbon emissions flying by 2050. Together with its partners, including Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Cranfield Aerospace Solutions and Wright Electric, easyJet is working to accelerate the development of zero-emission aircraft technology. In the meantime, the airline is offsetting the carbon emissions from the fuel used for all its flights, at no additional cost to its customers, and only supports projects that are certified by Gold Standard or the Verified Carbon Standard, internationally recognised certification schemes. In addition, easyJet continues to renew its fleet, operate efficiently, and aims to fill most of its seats. Since 2000, over a 20-year period, the airline reduced its carbon emissions per passenger, per kilometre by over one-third, and aims to bring this down further.
Innovation is in easyJet’s DNA – since launching over 25 years ago, easyJet changed the way people fly to the present day where the airline leads the industry in digital, web, engineering and operational innovations to make travel more easy and affordable for its passengers.
The airline was named as Britain’s Most Admired Company of 2020 in the transport sector, retaining the leading position for a second year running. Britain's Most Admired Companies study is the longest-running annual survey of corporate reputation in the UK.
