Budget airline Easyjet is planning to drop a carbon offset scheme and will instead focus on developing new technologies to cut emissions directly from its aeroplanes.
According to Easyjet, since the scheme was launched in 2019, 8.7m tonnes of carbon emissions have been offset by the airline.
“We will continue to offset on behalf of our customers for flights booked until the end of 2022,” Easyjet said.
“From January 2023, we will offer a voluntary offsetting option for our customers.”
The concept of offsetting carbon, where greenhouse gas emissions are balanced out by carrying out measures such as planting trees, has become popular as more companies set net zero targets.
However, carbon offsetting has more recently attracted controversy as it raises questions about land use, particularly when agricultural land comes out of production.
Some critics also label the practice as “greenwashing” as it makes companies seem environmentally friendly, even though they are still emitting greenhouse gases.