Let’s make a difference. Let’s support climate protection together. Simply book your contribution with your next trip.
Now fly more sustainably
Book your flight, and contribute to make flying more sustainable: with our offers you can contribute to saving CO₂ emissions directly during the booking and make future Lufthansa Group flights more sustainable. The contribution corresponds to the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) amounting to 10% of the estimated individual flight-related CO2 emissions, as well as a contribution to high-quality climate protection projects amounting to the remaining 90% of these CO2 emissions. Other climate-impacting emissions in addition to CO₂ may occur.
You can also make a contribution for flights that have already been completed – easily and at any time. Your support will go towards a combination of using sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and promoting high-quality climate protection projects to make future flights a little more sustainable and contribute to climate protection.
Flying has further impacts on the climate beyond CO2 emissions.
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 package to save CO2 emissions in the future. 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 to contribute to saving CO2 emissions :
- Support for high-quality climate protection projects equivalent to the estimated CO2 emissions of your flight.
- Supporting the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) for future flights in the amount of the estimated CO2 emissions of your flight.
The Lufthansa Group guarantees that the SAF will be phased into flight operations within six months of departure.
Multiple options, one goal: Make flying more sustainable
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is not produced from fossil fuels, but rather from renewable energy sources, such as used cooking oils and fats or from agricultural waste. While SAF emits a similar amount of CO2 emissions during combustion as conventional kerosene, its lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions are at least 80% lower. To contribute to saving CO2 emissions, we calculate your fuel consumption based on the estimated CO2 emissions and ensure that exactly this amount of SAF is used on future Lufthansa Group flights on an annual average.
The SAF used in the Lufthansa Group's offers to customers is purchased in addition to the regulatory SAF quota of currently 2%, the costs of which are already factored into the ticket price, and is incorporated into the Lufthansa Group's flight operations within six months after the respective flight.
The raw materials used to create SAF don’t take away from human or animal food and are subject to strict sustainability criteria defined in the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) and the RefuelEU Aviation Regulation which are reviewed by independent auditors.
Currently, SAF represents less than 1% of total aviation fuel used worldwide and costs about three to five times more than fossil fuel. The Lufthansa Group is involved in numerous projects to ensure that sustainable aviation fuels become available in larger quantities as quickly as possible.
The Lufthansa Group promotes climate protection projects around the world in collaboration with the providers myclimate, First Climate, Ceezer and senken. These projects include carbon farming in Germany, the introduction of energy-saving cookers for people in African countries, or converting biomass into a charcoal-like product, so-called biochar. Additionally, Lufthansa Group supports the scaling of new technologies with Climeworks as well as Airbus and 1PointFive, which filters CO2 directly from the ambient air and stores it for centuries in geological spaces.
All projects ensure that, over a long period of time, CO₂ emissions are either avoided or removed from the atmosphere. Since such projects have complex ecological and social implications, the exact extent of their CO₂ savings can naturally vary. By selecting carefully vetted projects, we ensure that your support makes a positive contribution to climate protection. Climate protection projects outside of Europe are certified to the highest international standards: “Gold Standard” or “Puro.Earth”. The impact and quality of local European climate protection projects are ensured by domestic standards, such as “Carbon Standards International (CSI)” or ISO 14064.
Thanks to your contribution, you not only help with climate protection, but you also contribute to improving biodiversity and creating better living conditions for local people.
CO₂ emissions and climate impact
Estimating 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 contribute to reducing CO2 emissions of future flights and to support the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and high-quality climate projects.
The CO₂ emissions figure estimated per passenger is based on a number of influencing variables. In order to determine the most accurate value possible, the Lufthansa Group uses a data-based model 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 estimate 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 estimations 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?