The Copenhagen summit on climate change is here and even if the omens appear to be pessimistic, we still have to expect the best… But we should prepare for the worst.

So I was wondering, in the different big companies evolving around travelling, what are the ones that are actively doing things against climate change?

Of course there is the ecotourism industry, but I was more interested in the mainstream one, because this is where the heart of the battle lay: if they move on and take commitments, it could have a significant impact on things.

Carbon Offset

It seems that all the companies have one nowadays, from easyJet to JetBlue. Not a must, as there is some controversy about it as it should only be a part of the solution and not the solution itself.

New Fuels

Virgin Airlines has been the company experimenting different kinds of new fuels to powers its planes, mainly biofuels. The problem is that we do not know the impact of biofuels on a large scale, so take this one cautiously.

Transparency

Well, as they are a source of pollution, it is kind of normal they publish what their carbon footprint is. Read more about this with the example of Virgin America.

Recycling

I have always been shocked by how things on plane are one use only and how recycling appears to be so limited. Recently Continental Airlines claimed to have achieved notable results with its own program.

Green Flying

What I mean by green flying is offering a different experience to customers or using new techniques to lower carbon dioxide emissions. Southwest and easyJet are leading initiatives in this field.

Despite all these things, there is a lot to be done: create a 0% carbon dioxide emission flying mode of transportation is still a far prospect, especially when you have reactions like the one of the CEO of Ryanair.

Read more about traveling eco-friendly with Green Travel: The World’s Best Eco-Lodges & Earth-Friendly Hotels.

Image courtesy of aboutmyplanet.com

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