Dedicated to combat climate change.

What air travel does to the environment

Air travel releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. These gases contribute to the overall warming of the earth climate change. Even a small increase in the temperature of the earth could have a dramatic impact on lives around the world. Air travel is the UK's fastest growing source of greenhouse gases and your flight is the part of your holiday that will have the largest environmental impact.

What you can do to help

The impact that your flight has on the climate can be counteracted if you ensure that projects are undertaken to either absorb (for example, through planting trees) or avoid (for example, through being more efficient with energy) equivalent amounts of greenhouse gases.

The Co-operative Travel has teamed up with Climate Care - an organisation dedicated to combating climate change, to provide you with an easy way to ensure that you counteract the impact your flight has on the climate.

When you book your holiday with us, you can make a small payment which we will ensure Climate Care use to invest in suitable offset projects in the developing world.

The Co-operative works closely with Climate Care to ensure that the monies and projects are managed carefully.

On its own, this isn't going to stop climate change but, it's an important step in the right direction and it means you can enjoy your holiday in the knowledge that the impact that your flight has on the environment has been offset.

How it works

We estimate the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases your holidayflight produces.

We work out how much it costs to fund projects that absorb or avoid the equivalent amount of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere.

Your money is invested in The Co-operative Group's offset projects managed by Climate Care. Our projects involve replanting rainforests and improving energy efficiency and renewable energy in the developing world.

How much it costs

You can help to combat climate change by making a voluntary contribution, which will be used to counteract the impact of your flight. The contribution required depends on the length of your flight, which in turn determines the quantity of gases released into the atmosphere.

We're also doing our bit ...

The Co-operative Travel went carbon-neutral across its business operations in 2008. In addition to nearly all of the electricity used to power our branches coming from renewable sources, we offset the emissions from our gas use and business travel too.

Since The Co-operative Group began working with Climate Care, it has offset over 250,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide on our behalf - enough to fill over 120 new Wembley Stadiums! We're doing our bit, and we'd like to encourage you to do the same.

Your holiday could help replant a rainforest...

...or power a house with more enviromentally friendly fuel

Offset projects funded by The Co-operative Group include:

• The replanting of over 230 hectares of rainforest in Uganda. As the trees we plant grow, they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and lock it away. Some of this carbon dioxide will have come from air travel. In addition, the forest is now home to a thriving population of chimpanzees and twelve more endangered species.
• The Building of alternative fuel systems for cooking in households around Rathambore National Park in India. Rathambore is one of the worlds largest tiger reserves, but the illegal gathering of wood for cooking is putting the tigers habitat under threat and releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The alternative fuel systems use biogas and convert manure into fuel, eliminating the need to cut trees down.
• The provision of energy efficient cooking stoves in Cambodia. This reduces the amount of wood needed for cooking, which means less carbon dioxide is released from the stoves. The reduced demand for wood also helps to protect Cambodia's forests.

For more information on carbon offsetting and the projects funded by us, visit www.co-operative.coop/ethicsinaction/climatechange/carbonoffsetting/