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<p>A San Diego International Airport program called The Good Traveler, offers carbon offset purchase as an optional amenity to the passengers who want to balance out the environmental impact of their flight.<br>
The Good Traveler is a non-profit collaboration between airports and the organizations they connect with, on a mission to make travel sustainable.<br>
Launched in September 2015, the program has offset about 11.5 million air miles of travel in just over one year.<br>
“The Good Traveler is a key component of San Diego International Airport’s sustainability strategy,” said Brendan Reed, the airport’s Director of Environmental Affairs. “With every mile we offset, we’re making a tangible contribution to the fight against climate change.”<br>
The program, in which passengers can purchase credits good for offsetting the carbon emissions produced during their trips, has expanded to include Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.<br>
“Austin’s airport has worked to minimize its environmental impact starting with its construction in the 1990s,” said Jim Smith, Executive Director of the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. “Now our travelers have the opportunity to personally make air travel more sustainable.”<br>
By working together, all of The Good Traveler airports hope to create an industry-leading, sustainable travel experience for passengers and optimize the program’s buying power in terms of offsets.<br>
Currently, a $1 credit offsets 500 miles of air travel or 200 miles of automobile travel. Proceeds go toward conservation projects that help counteract the effect of greenhouse gas emissions on the environment.<br>
“Visitors and citizens of the Seattle region care deeply about the environment,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Stephanie Bowman. “And we’re responding with our own commitment to reduce the Port’s carbon emissions by 50 percent. The Good Traveler program is a perfect complement to these programs. Passengers can be personally involved in reducing their carbon footprint through an easy-to-use, intuitive offsetting program designed specifically for air travelers.”<br>
At San Diego International Airport, offsets can be purchased at Ryan Bros Coffee inside Terminals 1 and 2, as well as online at www.thegoodtraveler.org. Online purchasers can choose whether the funds go to U.S. programs such as a wind farm, forestry project and Colorado Delta Restoration project; or offsets that reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation in the Congo and Zambia.<br>
The program works with individual travelers, businesses whose staff travels, hotels, shops, holiday destinations, cafes, and non-profits.<br>
The Good Traveler also works toward more efficiently investing airport revenue into offsetting the carbon footprint of ground operations under the Airport Council International’s Airport Carbon Accreditation program.</p>