Contribute to make flying more sustainable from the moment you book and either offset the calculated CO2 emissions of future flights or reduce them in an innovative way by the contribution to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
Fly more sustainably
Let’s make a difference. Let’s support climate protection together. Make your flight carbon neutral with your next booking.
Now fly more sustainably
Book your flight, and contribute to make flying more sustainable: with our offers you can make a contribution directly during the booking and make future Lufthansa Group flights more sustainable. Therefore, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is used to reduce your calculated flight-related CO2 emissions, and any remaining CO2 emissions are offset through contributions to climate protection projects.
You can reduce the calculated CO2 emissions of completed flights at any time through the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), and offset any remaining CO2 emissions by contributing to climate protection projects.
Depending on your travel destination, you can either plan your trip CO₂ -neutral during the booking process or you have the option of choosing a so-called "green" fare when selecting the tariff. No matter which of the two paths you choose: your CO₂ -neutral flight makes a difference.
You can already offset the CO₂ emissions of your flight during the booking by either contributing to high-quality climate protection projects, using sustainable aviation fuels (SAF)* or a combination of both.
If you choose to buy a green fare, your flight will be made CO₂-neutral through a fixed combination of the use of sustainable aviation fuels (20% share) and a contribution to high-quality climate protection projects (80% share).
Depending on your destination, you can contribute to make flying more sustainable either during the booking process or after you have already completed your journey by selecting a CO2-offsetting package. Alternatively, you have the option of choosing a so-called “green” tariff when selecting your fare.
No matter which option you choose: Your choice makes a difference.
In order to travel more sustainably, Lufthansa generally offers you two basic options for offsetting your flight-related CO2 emissions:
- Offsetting the calculated CO2 emissions of your flight by contributing to high-quality climate protection projects that offset your respective calculated CO2 emissions.
- Reduction of the calculated CO2 emissions of your flight through the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)*.
Lufthansa Group ensures that the measures for offsetting or reducing the corresponding CO₂ emissions will be implemented no later than 6 months after your flight.
Three options, one goal: climate protection
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is not produced from fossil-based raw materials, but from used cooking oils & fats or from agricultural waste. In comparison to conventional kerosene, SAF saves approximately 80% of carbon emissions and therefore immediately reduces your flight-related CO₂ emissions. We use the quantity of SAF required to achieve full carbon reduction.
The raw materials used to create SAF do not take away from human or animal food and are subject to strict sustainability criteria which are audited independently. All sustainable aviation fuels used by the Lufthansa Group meet the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive 2 (RED II).
The Lufthansa Group promotes climate protection projects worldwide in collaboration with myclimate and climate Austria. Examples include the restoration of peatlands in Germany, the construction of biogas plants in Brazil, the use of energy-saving cookers for people in Rwanda or Kenya or the protection of endangered forests in Tanzania. All projects ensure that, over the long term, either CO₂ emissions are reduced or removed from the atmosphere. Environmental projects outside of Europe are certified to the highest international standards: Gold Standard or Plan Vivo. Furthermore, the effects and quality of local, European environmental projects are ensured by the domestic standards, such as MoorFutures, or the CH VER guidelines.
With your contribution, not only do you help with climate protection, but you also contribute to more biodiversity and improved living conditions for local people.
With this option, you ensure that one part of your contribution goes towards climate protection projects and the other towards the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). This is how to choose an efficient combination for carbon neutral travel.
Calculating CO₂ emissions and climate impact
Calculating the flight-related CO₂ emissions per passenger
Burning kerosene in engines creates carbon dioxide, more commonly known as CO₂, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Lufthansa offers travellers the opportunity to reduce their flight-related CO₂ emissions by using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), or to offset them by contributing to high-quality climate protection projects.
The CO₂ emissions figure calculated per passenger is based on a number of influencing variables. In order to determine the most accurate value possible, the Lufthansa Group uses a calculator that was developed in collaboration with the climate protection organisation myclimate, and which has access to a large database of historical flight data. Some of the influencing variables used to calculate a CO₂ value per passenger include the flight route, the average fuel consumption along this route, the travel class and the seat occupancy rate.
Taking non-CO₂ effects into account
The greenhouse gas CO₂ isn’t the only type of emission to occur as a result of burning kerosene in engines; emissions such as water vapour, nitrogen oxides and very fine soot particles are also a consequence. These emissions are called non-CO₂ emissions.
According to the latest science, the overall impact of aviation on global warming isn’t limited to just the effect produced by the CO₂ emissions; the non-CO₂ emissions can also have an effect on the climate. The most significant in this respect are long-lasting vapour trails, which occur on a very low number of flights in very specific climatic conditions. These long-lasting vapour trails can have a warming or cooling effect on the atmosphere, depending on the conditions in which they occur.
At the moment, there isn’t enough research on the precise effect of non-CO₂ emissions on the climate. As a result, the Lufthansa Group doesn’t currently include non-CO₂ effects in its calculations on top of the CO₂ emissions calculated per passenger.
The Lufthansa Group is actively engaged in research that aims to form a better understanding of non-CO₂ effects on the climate, and is developing usable processes that will prevent them from occurring in the first place.
SAF questions and answers
Do you have any further questions about Sustainable Aviation Fuel?
* The SAF used by the Lufthansa Group is produced exclusively from source materials that meet the strict sustainability criteria of the European Renewable Energy Directive 2018/2001/EU Article 20 (“RED II”). The SAF used is certified according to ISCC or RSB criteria, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% compared to kerosene using fossil source materials. The sustainable component of the source materials is produced in a sustainable and ethical manner using good agricultural and industrial practices that comply with all applicable labour rights and laws as well as all environmental regulations, including but not limited to ILO Convention No. 138, ILO Convention No. 182 and ILO Convention No. 105.