Air travel connects people, cultures and economies and is therefore an indispensable part of a globalized world. This societal and economic value must go hand in hand with the ambition to further reduce aviation’s impact on the climate and the environment. To advance lower-emission and therefore more sustainable aviation, Lufthansa and the Lufthansa Group invest in new fuel-efficient aircraft, support the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and continuously improve operational efficiency.
Additionally, we give customers the opportunity to support concrete measures that contribute to reducing emissions. These include the use of additional Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) on future flights and, additionally, the support of selected climate protection projects that contribute to CO₂ avoidance or removal.
Let’s make a difference. Simply book your contribution with your next trip.
Your options to support more sustainable flying
Book your flight and support measures for CO₂ saving emissions. With your contribution, you support the additional use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) within the Lufthansa Group’s network within six months after your flight, as well as selected climate protection projects. The contribution corresponds to the estimated CO₂ emissions of your flight. Flying has further impacts on the climate beyond CO₂ emissions.
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 Fuel (SAF) and promoting selected climate protection projects to make future flights a little more sustainable and contribute to climate protection.
Depending on your destination, you can contribute to making flying more sustainable either during the booking process or after you have already completed your journey by selecting a package to save CO₂ emissions. Alternatively, you have the option of choosing a so-called “Impact Fare" when selecting your fare.
No matter which option you choose: Your choice makes a difference.
Lufthansa generally offers you two basic options to contribute to saving CO₂ emissions:
- Supporting the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for future flights corresponding to a defined share of the estimated CO₂ emissions of your flight.
- Support for certified climate protection projects equivalent to the remaining estimated CO₂ emissions of your flight.
The Lufthansa Group guarantees that the SAF will be phased into flight operations within six months after your flight.
Multiple options, one goal: Reduce the climate impact of flying
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is produced 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 the fuel required based on the estimated CO₂ emissions and ensure that exactly this amount of SAF is used on future Lufthansa Group flights.
The SAF used in the Lufthansa Group's offers to customers is purchased in addition to the EU regulatory SAF quota of 2%, the costs of which are already factored into the ticket price via the Environmental Cost Surcharge, and is incorporated into the Lufthansa Group's flight operations within six months after the respective flight. Parts of the eligible SAF used by Lufthansa Group have been co-funded by the EU Emissions Trading System.
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.
SAF currently 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 SAF becomes 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, 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 interdependences, the exact extent of their CO₂ savings can naturally vary. By selecting carefully vetted projects, we aim to ensure that your support contributes 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 the ISO 14064.
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 travelers the opportunity to support the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and, in addition,certified 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 organization 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?