The new scheme began on January 1 and sees the airline investing in a range of verified carbon reduction projects including renewable energy, rainforest protection and reforestation programmes.
The airline and its parent company IAG will also invest $400million on alternative sustainable fuel development over the next 20 years.
BA currently operates up to 75 flights a day between London and ten UK cities including Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Newcastle.
“We know that air travel continues to grow, but we also know that our future has to be sustainable,” says Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and Chief Executive.
“Solving the complex issue of climate change requires a multifaceted response, and offsetting emissions on all flights within the UK is just one step that we are adopting to reduce our environmental impact while more solutions to decarbonise are found.”
BA passengers flying beyond the UK can use a carbon offsetting tool to calculate their emissions and invest in carbon reduction projects in Peru, Sudan and Cambodia via not-for-profit charity Pure Leapfrog.
A return flight from London to Madrid costs around £1 to offset.
