Reforestation
What is reforestation?
Forests were lost due to human activity or natural disturbances. Reforestation provides us with new trees. These trees absorb carbon dioxide. Though it sounds simple, it involves more than just planting trees. For example, knowledge about local tree species and the local climate is needed. Also, trees must be protected and given a long time to grow. That’s why we selected 3 different certified projects.
Why forests are important
Forests are the lungs of our planet. Plants and trees clean the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and turning it into oxygen. But through human activities like burning fossil fuels and deforestation, carbon dioxide levels in the air are higher than nature can handle. In aviation, we also use a fossil fuel: kerosene. When we burn kerosene, it produces carbon dioxide.
What is CO₂?
Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a gas also produced in nature; it is food for plants. But when there is too much CO₂ in the atmosphere, heat is trapped around the earth. This is what leads to global warming.
Reforestation projects
Since 2017 we have supported a reforestation project in Panama. In 2022, we added 2 projects in Uganda and Colombia to our portfolio. Because reforestation is more than just planting trees, our selected projects are all:
- Gold Standard certified
- FSC certified
- Supporting job creation for the local population, community development, etc.
Contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals van de United Nations
Gold Standard was established in 2003 by WWF and other international NGOs as a best practice standard to ensure projects that reduced carbon emissions featured the highest levels of environmental integrity and contributed to sustainable development.
All our selected projects are Gold Standard certified.
FSC (Forest Stewardship Council®) is the international, independent quality mark and the best-known label for responsible forest management worldwide. To obtain a certificate for a forest, FSC has drawn up a standard based on the 10 FSC principles. 70 universal criteria followed from these principles.
All our selected projects are FSC certified.
Carbon credits
A carbon credit is a certificate issued for every tonne of carbon emissions a verified project has absorbed, reduced, or stored. When we buy a carbon credit, we support the reforestation project and compensate for 1 ton of our CO₂ emissions.
As a passenger, you can support our carbon offset by adding reforestation to your booking. The price for your contribution is based on the estimated CO₂ emissions per person on your flight. With this contribution, we don't buy trees but carbon credits. We purchase carbon credits from FORLIANCE.
Your carbon footprint
When you book a flight at KLM, we offer the option to compensate for part of the estimated CO₂ emissions of your flight. How? By contributing to our selected reforestation project. The price for your contribution is calculated based on several factors that influence the amount of CO₂ emissions of your flight, like the type of aircraft, distance, and historical load factor.
About calculating your carbon emissions
Every year the French branch of accountancy organisation KPMG audits KLM to verify whether KLM’s calculation methods comply with the methods described below and are in line with principles as defined by international guidelines. The audit scope is available in the KPMG audit report.
Our latest methods and audit report:
Check the expected amount of CO₂ emissions for your flight in My Trip or when you book a flight.
Your contribution
During your booking, on the same page where you choose your seat or add baggage, you can add CO₂ compensation to your booking. You can also do that later in My Trip.
Want to do more?
Though air travel is not sustainable yet, there are things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint. Small things, like travelling light or bringing your own water bottle or earbuds. Or bigger things, like buying Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
With your contribution to SAF, you help to reduce air travel dependency on regular fossil fuels. We purchase 1% Sustainable Aviation Fuel for all flights departing from Amsterdam. It’s a start, but with your help, we can do more.
Frequently asked questions
Because we already added 1% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to the ticket prices. We invest in SAF because it can directly reduce our CO₂ emissions. We want to make our carbon footprint as small as possible at KLM. Reforestation is just compensation; the flight still emits the same amount of CO₂. However, there is not enough SAF available for all our flights. Therefore, reforestation is still a good option, but we choose to stimulate the production and use of SAF.
Because we support projects in areas that have historically suffered from rapid deforestation and where restoration effort is not only helping to restore the ecosystem. These projects also protect and enhance biodiversity and offer employment opportunities for rural communities. Also, CO₂ is absorbed faster in tropical areas than in the Netherlands.
Reforestation is the act of restoring forests that have previously been depleted. Afforestation is the establishment of a forest in an area without a forest. Conservation means preserving and protecting established forests. KLM invests in reforestation, bringing forests back to regions where it has been removed.
No, net-zero emissions should be achieved by reducing emissions as far as possible and only using offsets for the remaining emissions that cannot be reduced further. Reforestation helps to balance carbon emissions and carbon absorption by trees in projects. It supports achieving the ultimate goal: net-zero emissions in 2050. But the focus should be on reducing emissions as far as possible.