JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ: JBLU) has announced announced its eighth annual "One Thing That's Green" initiative. JetBlue will offset the carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases (CO2e) for all scheduled flights from April 1 to April 30, 2015. To date, JetBlue has purchased offsets totaling more than 350 million pounds (158,000 metric tons) of CO2 and CO2e emissions. JetBlue, with the assistance of its customers who voluntarily offset CO2 emissions, help fund technology and forestry projects designed to help reduce the environmental impact of aircraft and prevent harmful greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere. Offsetting all scheduled flights in April for its customers will allow JetBlue to reduce the carbon impact of 500,000 metric tons of CO2e or 57.1 million gallons of jet fuel. JetBlue will purchase the equivalent offsets which will be used to protect a 400,000 acre rainforest in Brazil. This protection will in turn generate several million carbon offsets over the next few years. "Within the bounds of what technology currently allows for, we are reducing our greenhouse gas emissions wherever possible. As traditional jet fuel is still crucial to our operation, we won't be able to completely eliminate them. However, we offset to lessen our impact," said Sophia Mendelsohn, head of sustainability, JetBlue Airways. "Protecting existing forests is a logical way to fund emission absorption and helps us all adapt to a changing climate." Created by JetBlue to encourage a healthier planet, the "One Thing That's Green" annual campaign highlights the airline's commitment to environmentalism and encourages its customers and crew members to undertake one green initiative in their daily lives to reduce their carbon footprint. "We are working to change our customers' behavior when purchasing flights. As an airline, we are always considering our environmental impact. As we work to lessen our footprint, we are encouraging our customers to also take action to lessen their impact," said Icema Gibbs, director, corporate social responsibility, JetBlue Airways. Since October 2014, JetBlue began offsetting the CO2e emissions for an entire year on all A321 flights between San Francisco and New York's JFK Airport. Those offsets are already being put to good use in Utah where more than 2,500 crewmembers live and work. JetBlue is supporting a methane capture landfill in Salt Lake City that will reuse CO2 emissions to power homes in the area.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |