Into a world that's increasingly concerned about climate and the future, and when 'flight-shaming' has become an issue for travelers, a package-holiday company plans to carve out a niche with 'carbon-neutral' holidays that claim to offset their contribution to the world's greenhouse gases.
Sunweb, which is headquartered in Rotterdam, said Tuesday it is offering holiday packages that are end-to-end neutral, with carbon offsets covering the flight, bus and other transfers and hotel stays. It says that customers will not pay a higher price, but did not explain how it would roll in the cost.
Carbon offsets are a controversial concept in which a carbon-dioxide-emitting activity pays into funds or projects that encourage non-polluting or compensating projects as compensation. In Sunweb's case, it is partnered with ClimateCare, which supports renewable energy projects, including wind farms in India.
Sunweb acknowledges that carbon compensation may not be the solution or even a big solution to climate change, but says that it believes that "it's important to act now in the travel industry," and urges others to follow its lead.
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