Frequently Asked Questions

Carbon offsetting allows individuals and businesses to reduce their environmental impact. By purchasing independently verified carbon offsets, customers support accredited environmental projects that either remove greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere (such as planting trees), or prevent future emissions (such as replacing a coal-fired power station with a wind farm). One unit of carbon offset represents one metric tonne of greenhouse gas emissions avoided or removed from the atmosphere.

There are seven main greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbon, hydrofluorocarbon, sulphur hexafluoride and nitrogen trifluoride.

Each greenhouse gas has a different environmental impact which can be measured using the Global-Warming Potential (GWP) metric. Based on their respective GWP, each greenhouse gas can be converted into carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) to determine their individual and combined contributions to global warming. Therefore, carbon offsetting is typically transacted in CO2e as a common unit.

The flight emissions are computed using TEM BlueHalo® technology. The BlueHalo® software uses the United Kingdom's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) international standards to convert greenhouse gas emissions associated with your flight such as aircraft type, distance travelled and litres of fuel used, to tonnes of CO2e. The BlueHalo® calculations are continually updated as best practice international standards for greenhouse gas calculations evolve.

Yes. The seats in each cabin class take up different amounts of space and weight on the aircraft. As different cabin classes have varying impacts, we have factored this into our calculations in accordance with international standards.

Your company’s data will be processed within 48 hours, and an email notification will be sent when it has been successfully processed.

Yes, you will receive an email notification with the file of the offset transactions that were not calculated due to data errors in flight information.

Yes, one’s company data is required so as to ensure that the correct tax (in regions where this is applicable such as Australia and New Zealand) is applied in the invoice.

The SIA Group’s voluntary carbon offsets are provided via the BlueHalo® digital solution, a system by Australia-registered carbon offset provider, Tasman Environmental Markets (TEM). Hence, only Australia-based entities are subjected to GST.

Customers can make an electronic bank payment through invoicing or utilise HighFlyer points for purchase of carbon offsets

The rate is 150 HighFlyer points for every S$1 worth of carbon offset.

No, you cannot purchase points to pay for your carbon offset. If there are insufficient points in your company’s HighFlyer account, you can consider paying for carbon offsets in full via electronic bank payment through invoicing, or split your offset transactions into smaller batches which can be paid using the points you have.

Purchasing a carbon offset is to make a voluntary contribution to a verified carbon offset project. Therefore, if a customer pays for an offset but does not travel, no refund will be provided.

The SIA Group supports carbon offset projects that are verified in accordance to international standards by independent third-party auditors under the Verified Carbon Standard Program and the Gold Standard. 

These standards ensure that each project delivers real, measurable emissions reductions, which would not have occurred in a business-as-usual scenario. Each project is issued carbon offsets, and each offset holds a unique serial number for traceability to prevent double accounting in the market. For instance, if the project demonstrated a reduction of 1,000 tonnes of emissions, they would be issued with 1,000 verified carbon offsets.

Supported projects are also compliant or finalising compliance with strict criteria under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) governed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). 

Carbon offsets purchased by customers are retired by TEM in the respective carbon registries where the projects are verified. This ensures that the offsets cannot be traded again.

The SIA Group supports a portfolio of accredited projects which brings about environmental and socio-economic benefits to communities in Asia. These projects include:

• Forest Restoration Initiatives in Indonesia: These projects capture and stores carbon in trees, preserve habitats for native wildlife, and support the local villagers through employment and training opportunities.
• Solar Energy Projects in India: These projects generate clean renewable electricity for power which would otherwise be supplied by a fossil-fuel fired power plant. They also create jobs, and strengthen rural electrification coverage.
• Distribution of Efficient, Clean burning Cookstoves in Nepal: These cookstoves significantly reduce the amount of smoke produced during cooking, lowering associated health risks, particularly for women and children who are responsible for meal preparation.

Learn more about our projects here.

No. SIA does not profit from the sale of carbon offsets purchased under the carbon offset programme. All voluntary contributions made by customers are directly channelled to TEM to source carbon offsets from projects worldwide. This includes administration fees paid to TEM to carry out due diligence in sourcing and supplying carbon offsets, as well as managing the offset retirement process and all carbon accounting.

The SIA Group believes that a sustainable aviation industry helps to ensure that future generations continue to benefit from the global connectivity, economic prosperity, and people links that air travel enable.

We are firmly committed to find new and innovative ways to reduce our environmental impact and support communities we serve, while enhancing our customers’ journey with us.

Learn more about our sustainability initiatives here.

Developed by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 2016, the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) is a carbon reduction and carbon offset programme to lower carbon emissions for international flights and reduce aviation’s impact on climate change.

It is the first global market-based measure developed for the aviation sector to offset residual carbon emissions that cannot be directly reduced through technological and operational improvements, as well as alternative low-carbon fuels, in order to meet ICAO’s aspirational goal of carbon neutral growth from 2020. ICAO sets strict criteria for which carbon offset project development programmes are eligible for compliance under CORSIA.

CORSIA continues to play an important and complementary role in helping the hard-to-abate aviation industry decarbonise, whilst taking into consideration the challenges and limitations in adoption of low-carbon fuels and aircraft technologies today.

The SIA Group has voluntarily participated in it since 2019, ahead of the mandatory implementation for all airlines from 2027.

While SIA supports and complies with longer-term international obligations under CORSIA to reduce emissions from international aviation, we believe that every act counts and everyone plays a part.

We aim to enable empower our customers to learn more about their carbon footprint from air travel or cargo, and have the option to make voluntary contributions towards verified carbon offset projects that play a part in reducing their impact on the environment and contribute back to society. Voluntary contributions to the programme help to bring about environmental and socio-economic benefits to local communities in Asia.

No. SIA manages all compliance requirements under CORSIA at our own cost.

TEM, is an Australia-registered carbon offset service provider that supports the SIA Group Voluntary Carbon Offset Programme through its BlueHalo® digital platform which allows instant calculation of customers’ flight emissions and the offset of those emissions via this  website.