Statoil and the Berg-Hansen travel agency are joining forces to raise awareness about carbon dioxide emissions in connection with business travel.
As of 3 January 2007 Statoil employees will find the following information about their flights' CO2 emissions on their travel reservations from Berg-Hansen:
"On this journey your share of the total emissions will be XX kilograms. This is only an estimate. Actual emissions will vary according to weather conditions, landing approach route, type of aircraft, weight and number of passengers etc. The emission will be offset by Statoil through the purchase of CO2quotas in the international emission trading market."
In 2006, Statoil was the first company in Norway to introduce a scheme through which the company could buy quotas for CO2 emissions that offset the emissions generated by business travel and heating/cooling of all Statoil offices.
The group gets its quotas, for instance, through investments in the World Bank’s Community Development Carbon Fund (CDCF). This fund supports carbon cutting projects in developing countries.
Statoil is now going one step further and establishing a collaboration with the Berg-Hansen travel agency to identify carbon emissions from individual journeys.
"We're doing this to increase our common environmental awareness and to improve understanding of the climate challenges facing us," says Nina Udnes Tronstad, Statoil's executive vice president for health, safety and the environment.
"And we hope that this will contribute to our making choices that entail a reduction of our CO2 emissions."
"We live in a world where we are dependent on flying," says Per Arne Villadsen, managing director of Berg-Hansen.
"We need to share an awareness about all forms of environmental emission. And we who work in the travel industry must not least accept a clear responsibility."