Avio S p A : USCIB Adopts Carbon Offset Policy for Employee International Travel

USCIB today announced that it has initiated a policy to support carbon offsets for its employees' international travel.

This program reflects USCIB's continuous engagement in international climate policy deliberations supporting U.S. private sector engagement and solutions towards GHG emissions reduction, adaptation and resilience.

In 2019, USCIB staff, together with member company representatives, participated in over 90 meetings and negotiations of some 18 international institutions in over 25 locations around the globe.

Beginning this month, January, 2020, carbon offset tables are being used by USCIB to calculate the carbon equivalent costs of international airline flights. That amount is being donated to sustainability programs such as forest conservation and management. The contributions will go to organizations participating with airlines most often used by USCIB staff.

Until that time, USCIB believes that its carbon offset program is a positive contribution that it can make in the face of the global climate challenge.

In many cases, specific options of sustainability programs are provided to enable the contributor to make a 'greatest impact' choice. Where an airline does not work directly with an established organization, USCIB will decide on the recipient program.

USCIB recognizes that in the future, airlines may be required themselves to offset emissions under the UN International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), agreed in 2018 in Montreal, which when enacted would make USCIB's program redundant for international passenger offsets. However, the lack of agreement on an implementation schedule at the recent COP 25 meeting in Madrid of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) resulted in a postponement of enactment beyond the original 2021 goal.

USCIB will maintain a record of the offsets that will be available to members who might wish to see the progress at the end of the year.