Under the same sky
Estimate flight emissions and support climate solutions when you fly with ITA Airways.
Enter travel details to estimate flight emissions. Take action by supporting Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and carbon offset projects.
Access your Cargo Sustainability Program account
Scaling the Sustainable Aviation Fuel market
Support Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
Our Carbon Offset projects
How we estimate emissions
Emission estimations follow the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Recommended Practice - RP 1726 to calculate the estimated greenhouse emissions associated with a passenger's flying on a particular flight. The RP 1726 calculation methodology takes into account multiple parameters including aircraft fuel consumption, seat configuration, cabin class, aircraft type, and historical load factors from more than 400 airlines. Precision of the emissions calculation can vary based on the input data. These emissions estimates are provided for informative purposes only, and they do not reflect the actual emissions associated with your flight(s).
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), also known as alternative jet fuel, is the industry term used to describe non-conventional jet fuels that are derived from renewable resources. Unlike traditional jet fuel, which is made from fossil fuels extracted from the earth, SAF uses alternative feedstocks and is produced through various technologies, also known as processing pathways. SAF has the potential to provide a lifecycle emissions reduction of up to 80% compared to the traditional jet fuel it replaces. ITA Airways are procuring SAF environmental attributes to help scale wider SAF adoption. SAF environmental attributes are the quantified environmental benefits associated with the use of physical SAF. Through a book and claim chain of custody model, the environmental attributes can be tracked, purchased, and claimed separately without the user being connected to the physical SAF supply. Please note: the support of SAF environmental attributes has no direct effect on the flights for which the emissions have been estimated.
How is SAF produced?
SAF is produced using conversion technologies, known as processing pathways. The most common processing pathway today is Hydrotreated Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), which refines oils, waste, and fats into SAF using a hydrogen-infused process. Other pathways include Fischer-Tropsch (FT) and Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) processes, which use catalytic chemical reactions. In addition, SAF can be produced without extensive infrastructural changes via co-processing, which is the simultaneous processing of fuels using non-petroleum and petroleum feedstocks at existing fuel refineries. As SAF development and adoption grows, feedstocks and production technologies will evolve. Future advancements could include eSAF, created by capturing atmospheric carbon and converting it into fuel. However, significant progress in production capabilities is needed before new technologies become scalable.
How does SAF reduce emissions?
Today, all commercially produced SAF on the market leverages biogenic feedstocks, also known as biomass. Biogenic feedstocks are renewable organic materials from plants and animals – including forestry and agricultural residues, municipal solid waste, used cooking oil, etc. In contrast, the production of conventional jet fuel requires the extraction of fossil fuel, resulting in a release of carbon that has been sequestered in the ground for millions of years. When burned, SAF and conventional jet fuel produce similar levels of emissions, but the emissions generated from SAF are already part of the carbon cycle (because they are made of biomass) and not extracted specifically for creating aviation fuel. This results in reduction of emissions when using SAF compared to conventional jet fuel when considered over the lifecycle of the fuel.
Carbon offsets and carbon credits
Carbon offsetting is a mechanism that advances climate action by supporting certified third-party projects that contribute to the reduction or removal of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Certified projects issue carbon credits, also referred to as offset credits or offsets, which act as an instrument for selling or trading the project’s associated removal or reduction impact. Each carbon credit represents a single unit of GHG emissions: one credit equates to one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e) that is reduced or removed from the atmosphere or the emissions lifecycle. A key defining factor is that the emissions reduced or removed by a carbon credit would not have taken place without the prospect of selling such a credit. A unit of GHG emissions can be reduced or removed through various methods or project types. A project's ability to issue carbon/offset credits depends on a set of rigorous conditions – in order for a project to issue credits, the emission reductions or removals must be validated as additional, measurable, auditable, permanent, and unique. Please note: the support of these carbon offset projects has no direct effect on the flights for which the emissions have been estimated.
What role does carbon offsetting play in tackling climate change?
Addressing climate change at scale requires immediate action to avoid new, and reduce or remove, existing greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has summarized the scientific evidence: to limit global warming past irreparable harm (1.5°C), global emissions need to peak before 2025 at the latest. Within this context, carbon offsetting is one part of a broader strategy for advancing global climate action – the financing that a project receives from the sale of carbon/offset credits allows them to carry out activities that achieve emission reductions or removals. Carbon offsetting is not intended to replace a company’s or individual's efforts to reduce their emissions footprint. Emissions reduction is paramount to limiting the effects of climate change. Instead, carbon offsetting should be viewed as supplementary action that complements broader decarbonization efforts and supports much needed climate action around the world. The support of these carbon offset projects has no direct effect on the flights for which the emissions have been estimated.
How are offsets verified?
The offsets made available through this program are from projects that are certified by internationally recognized carbon certification standards. Each of these certification standards sets requirements for the design, implementation, and execution of a given project. Accredited, independent, third-party verifiers then assess the carbon credits a project proposes to issue based on industry best practices as well as the verification criteria indicated in each specific standard.
Your impact
What happens when I purchase SAF environmental attributes through this program?
When you contribute to SAF through this Program, you are purchasing SAF Scope 3 environmental attributes. Purchases through this process demonstrate demand for a more sustainable aviation sector and to help to lower the current cost barrier of SAF. The support of SAF through this program has no direct effect on the flights for which the emissions have been estimated.
What happens when I contribute to carbon offsets or carbon credits through this program?
By purchasing carbon offset credits, you support climate solutions like nature-based solutions, renewable energy projects, or community projects that reduce or remove greenhouse gas emissions. In the aviation sector, which is referred to as a difficult-to-abate emissions sector, carbon credits play a valuable role in contributing to broader climate action. Not all carbon credits are created equally, so ensuring the proper due-diligence has been conducted when purchasing carbon credits helps to further climate action around the world. All carbon offsets available on this platform are from certified projects. They have had the additionality criteria case checked by both an independent third-party verifier and the respective carbon certification body at project inception. The support of these carbon offset projects has no direct effect on the flights for which the emissions have been estimated.
