Flight Offset
Offset Your Flight Emissions
Air travel is one of the most carbon-intensive activities most people undertake. A single return flight from London to New York generates approximately 1.6 tonnes of CO₂ per passenger in economy class. Nearly a third of the average UK person’s total annual footprint. Offset Britain makes it simple to neutralise the climate impact of your flights.
How Flight Emissions Are Calculated
Our flight offset calculator uses methodology aligned with ICAO (International Civil Aviation OrganiSation) and UK DEFRA standards. The calculation accounts for:
- Distance - Great circle distance between departure and arrival airports, plus a 9% uplift for non-direct routing and air traffic control diversions.
- Aircraft fuel burn - Average fuel consumption rates categorised by flight distance (short-haul under 3,700 km, long-haul over 3,700 km).
- Cabin class - Higher classes occupy more space and carry more weight per passenger. Economy (1x), Premium Economy (1.6x), Business (2.9x), First Class (4x).
- Radiative Forcing - Emissions at high altitude have a greater warming effect than the same emissions at ground level. We apply a Radiative Forcing Index (RFI) multiplier of 1.9 to capture the full climate impact, including contrails, water vapour, and NOx effects.
Example Flight Emissions (Economy Class, Return, incl. RFI)
- London to Paris ~0.12 tonnes CO₂e
- London to Barcelona ~0.28 tonnes CO₂e
- London to Dubai ~1.05 tonnes CO₂e
- London to New York ~1.58 tonnes CO₂e
- London to Sydney ~3.42 tonnes CO₂e
- London to Bangkok ~2.18 tonnes CO₂e
Offset Your Flight Now
Use our flight offset calculator to enter your departure and destination airports, select your cabin class, and see exactly how much CO₂ your flight produces. You can then offset the full amount instantly with verified carbon credits.
For frequent flyers, we also offer annual flight offset subscriptions that cover a set number of flights per year at a discounted rate.
Offset your flight nowOr use the carbon calculator
Where Your Offset Goes
Flight offset contributions fund a portfolio of verified emission reduction projects, with a focus on:
- Renewable energy - Wind and solar farms displacing fossil fuel electricity in developing nations.
- Forest conservation (REDD+) - Protecting existing tropical forests from deforestation, preserving critical carbon sinks.
- Sustainable aviation fuel research - Supporting the transition to lower-carbon aviation fuels.
Every flight offset includes an official Offset Britain certificate. Verify your certificate here. For more detail on our calculation methodology, visit our Methodology page.
