RIYADH: Carbon offsets, used by airlines to show they’re neutralizing greenhouse gas emissions, avoid the real challenge of cutting back on carbon dioxide, Bloomberg reported, citing Tony Douglas, CEO of Etihad Airways in an interview at the Dubai Airshow on Wednesday.
“It’s a short-term stopgap if you haven’t got a more sustainable alternative, but it’s cheating,” Douglas said.
The Abu Dhabi carrier offset 70,000 tons of carbon emissions for one Boeing Co. 787 this year by buying into a forestry program in Tanzania, Douglas added.
The statement comes as other executives along with environmentalists challenge the effectiveness of interim measures like tree-planting.
Etihad still intends to plant mangroves in Abu Dhabi, he said.
