British Airways pledges £9 million to accelerate carbon removal focus

Carbon removal credits involve the capture of CO2 from industry and its treatment. It is different from carbon offset, which involves projects such as tree planting.

The airline will sponsor one scheme in Scotland where CO2 emissions will be captured from whisky distilleries and repurposed into building materials. Another, spread across multiple locations in the UK uses enhanced rock weathering to lock away carbon “for thousands of years”. 

BA will also purchase carbon removals credits from two companies specialising in reforestation in Scotland and Wales.

The carrier’s portfolio also includes Canadian carbon capture projects, which focus on carbon removal from rivers and oceans using alkaline rock particles, while in India, the airline is backing a biochar project it says empowers female farmers while enhancing soil biodiversity and farm yields.

BA has also joined forces with CUR8, a UK company with which the airline has purchased 33,000 tonnes of carbon removal credits. 

Carrie Harris, BA’s director of sustainability, said: "While small in comparison to our total emissions, these projects are crucial in stimulating the carbon removals market.

“By supporting pioneering solutions, we’re not only contributing to immediate progress but also laying the groundwork for the large-scale changes needed to meet our climate goals. There is no pathway to net zero for aviation without carbon removals.”

In 2019, BA became part of the first airline group to commit to net zero emissions by 2050 or sooner. It estimates around one third of BA’s emissions reductions by 2050 will come from carbon reductions and removals in other sectors.

BA has also confirmed a partnership with The Earthshot Prize, becoming a Global Alliance Member. Founded by Prince William in 2020, Earthshot is a global environmental prize designed to spotlight solutions needed to repair and regenerate the planet.