Kiwi Connection to Air Tahiti Nui Global Rollout of new Voluntary Carbon Offset Programme

"By offering our passengers the opportunity to participate in offsetting their carbon impact, we are empowering them to take a very real and measurable action on their carbon footprint through the delivery of this partnership," says Michel Monvoisin, CEO of Air Tahiti Nui.

Air Tahiti Nui General Manager Pacific, Daniel Eggenberger, says, "Initially we were just looking to the Oceania region, but as our discussions progressed, it became clear that not only was there the ability to deliver this globally, but it also presented, in our view, the 'best-in-class' to help fulfil our mandate for more sustainable air travel."

Effective 01 June 2021, the partnership will enable Air Tahiti Nui customers to participate in a highly impactful programme that is described by the airline as "simple, transparent, and traceable." With a focus on conservation and regeneration, the CarbonClick programme splits its benefits 50/50 between local projects and high impact international clean energy projects. In New Zealand, the current local project is the regeneration of native forests in the Kaikoura region.

Upon confirmation of their booking, Air Tahiti Nui customers can click to assess their impact and are invited to voluntarily offset their flight through the three certified carbon offset projects the programme supports. The projects that are currently available to Air Tahiti Nui passengers are:

• Reforestation in New Zealand
• Reduced usage of fossil fuels through solar panel projects in India
• Biogas programme in Sichuan, China

CarbonClick CEO Dave Rouse says, "People get an immediate sense of satisfaction with the programme in that they can see the good they are doing right away; where, when and how it is happening. This is an important element of our uptake together with empowering our partners and their customers with the ability to positively affect wider social and environmental impacts far beyond the carbon component."

The initiative is one of the largest of its kind that the airline has entered into and supports a suite of other sustainability considerations that the airline employs right across its modern fleet and service operations.

What is voluntary carbon offsetting and why offset your emissions?
Carbon offsetting consists of "reabsorbing" the emissions from one's activity (travel, housing energy, etc.) by financing carbon offsetting programs aimed at storing CO2 (via tree planting) or reducing them at the source by promoting the use of renewable alternatives (e.g. biogas, solar cookers, etc.) generally located in developing countries. Each emission offset corresponds to a carbon credit.

We speak of "voluntary" offsetting when the individual or company offsetting is not obliged to do so (contrary to a regulatory obligation imposed in certain countries and sectors) to reduce its ecological footprint.