Airline tries to tame its carbon emissions

Charter flight service 748 has launched a tree planting campaign to help reverse the effects of climate change by offsetting carbon, its managing director has said.

Moses Mwangi on Friday said the aviation industry is burning a lot of fuel and stakeholders owe the community a way to offset the carbon emissions.

He said 748 Air Services is among the first airlines to pilot a United Nations scheme that tests how much carbon airlines release during flights and comes up with profiles that reduce burning of fuel.

“We are very proud because this was later adapted worldwide,” he said.

“From it, we can see reduction. Especially from our company, where we can save 10 to 15 per cent of the fuel burn, which amounts to tens of tonnes of carbon per year.”

Mwangi spoke during the annual tree planting exercise organised by the Kakamega Forest Heritage Foundation at Iloro section of Kakamega forest.

The foundation has planted more than 29,000 seedlings since 2018 to rehabilitate Kakamega Forest.

This year, indigenous trees covering 7 acres were planted at Kakamega Forest in sustained efforts to reduce the carbon footprint and restore the forest.

“We have managed to cover 62 acres so far and we are calling upon other individuals, institutions, corporates and community based organisations to support initiatives that green our country,” said Kakamega Heritage Member, Hannington Kimathi.

Mwangi said that if trees planted are protected to maturity then they can sinks more carbon from the atmosphere.

International Energy Agency data shows aviation accounted for over 2 per cent of global energy-related carbon emissions in 2021. It says airline emissions have grown faster in recent decades than road, rail or shipping.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), has set 2026 as the deadline for countries to start mandatory compliance with carbon emission reduction requirements for international aviation.

748 Air Services environment manager George Oduor said while humanitarian aviation has been exempted from carbon offsetting, the airline is committed to sustainable development goals.

Maurice Juma, the airline’s head of environment, said they voluntarily gone into the initiative to remove carbon emissions from their operations.

“Kakamega is just but the start, there are many other projects that are in line, including our internal operations, to ensure we either minimise, reduce or where possible offset,” he said.