Climate Change Mitigation Potentials of Carbon Labels in the Aviation Industry

Abstract

This chapter discusses the climate change mitigation potentials of carbon labels in the aviation industry. As this study shows, there are significant differences in the environmental performance of individual flights, even when operated on the same route or by the same airline. Selecting one flight over another can significantly reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of a single air passenger. Nevertheless, the currently available measures, such as carbon calculators, are not capable of presenting these differences, leaving air passengers with no means of comparing individual flights. Therefore, the use of carbon labels could be highly beneficial because it would give air passengers the opportunity to easily compare the carbon dioxide emissions of individual flights at the time of booking. By making better informed choices, air passengers could not only reduce their own individual carbon dioxide emissions but could also send a strong signal to the airlines. This could motivate airlines to improve their environmental performance, which could be made more visible through carbon labels.