San Francisco Airport debuts carbon offset kiosk

Travellers at San Francisco International Airport can now purchase carbon offset credits from kiosks located on the premises.

The kiosks, implemented under the airport's new Climate Passport programme, complement an online presence enabling people to purchase remotely.

Passengers using the service are able to calculate the carbon footprint of their flights, and then request the appropriate amount of offsets. Local renewable energy marketing firm 3Degrees then sources the offset credits on their behalf.

Offsets can be sourced from either the Garcia River Forest Project, a 24,000 acre forest management project with a 100 year lifespan that is operated by the Conservation Fund, or the San Francisco Carbon Fund, a city-created carbon offset programme designed to fund local green projects.

The airport has installed the kiosks behind the security clearance area on both sides of its international terminal, and in terminal three, while also making the service available via its flysfo.com website.

If successful the kiosks could prove a forerunner for offset desks at other airports. Growing numbers of airports and airlines support carbon offsetting schemes as a means of limiting their environmental impact, but many have struggled to encourage customers to pay for offsets when purchasing their tickets.