The idea behind carbon offsetting is straightforward: for every tonne of carbon dioxide (CO₂) a person or company emits, they can pay to fund a project elsewhere that either removes or avoids that same amount of CO₂. This might involve planting trees, installing wind turbines, or preserving rainforests.

In the context of air travel, airlines often incorporate carbon offsetting into the ticketing process. Passengers are encouraged to pay a little extra to support these green projects, usually through third-party partnerships. Some airlines, like British Airways, offer passengers the chance to fund clean cooking stove initiatives in Africa and South America—schemes designed to reduce wood-burning emissions.

In 2023, Malaysia Airlines has also taken a notable step by launching the country’s first voluntary carbon offset programme, allowing both individual and corporate customers to calculate and offset the emissions associated with their flights. Customers are then given the option to support internationally certified carbon reduction projects aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

_{There’s no global standard for calculating the carbon footprint of a flight—which means the same journey can have different emission estimates depending on the airline, carbon calculator, or methodology used. Some calculators factor in only the direct fuel burn for your seat, while others include radiative forcing—the additional warming effect of emissions at high altitudes, which can nearly double the climate impact. For example, flying at cruising altitude releases nitrogen oxides and causes contrail formation, both of which can trap heat in the atmosphere more than CO₂ alone.}