We’ve all seen it. That little box at the end of your flight booking: “Offset my emissions for £2.90”. Or maybe a reassuring line on your travel invoice claiming the journey was “carbon neutral, thanks to airline offsetting.”

It’s clean. It’s easy. It’s dangerously misleading.

Over the past two decades working in climate action and carbon measurement, I’ve seen many well-meaning organisations fall into the trap of thinking these automated tools and ‘one-click’ carbon offsets are doing the job. They’re not and here’s why.

The Carbon Calculator Myth

Most airline carbon calculators, and let’s be honest, most booking engines and travel providers using them, are designed for convenience, not compliance.

They simplify a complex environmental impact down to a neat number, usually based on:

• The direct distance flown,
• A per-passenger emission average, and
• A basic CO₂-only emission factor.

That’s it.

They don’t factor in:

So, while the “official-looking” kg CO₂e figure might make you feel like you’ve ticked the right box, it’s just not telling the full story. In fact, it can certainly be off by a factor of ten or more!

Real Carbon Reporting vs. Feel-Good Numbers

Let’s be really clear. Ticking a box on a booking form doesn’t remove your flight from your Scope 3 emissions.

If you’re a business reporting under frameworks like SECR, ESOS, PPN 006, ISO 14064, or preparing for CSRD, you must account for actual, auditable emissions. That means using verified emissions factors (like those published by the UK Government), accounting for well-to-tank and radiative forcing (if applicable), and be able to demonstrate how that data was calculated.

If your emissions report is built on tools designed by airlines to sell you an extra £2.90 add-on, it’s not going to stand up to scrutiny. And rightly so.

Offsetting only becomes meaningful when it’s the final step after a credible carbon measurement process, not a marketing tactic printed onto a flight ticket.

Offsetting

Offsetting, when done right, plays an important role. But it’s not a magic rubber.

Even the highest-quality offset projects, certified by the likes of Gold Standard or Verra (VCS) require a robust methodology and independent verification. It’s about funding additional, measurable, and permanent emissions reductions elsewhere, to balance what you can’t yet eliminate.

But for that to hold water:

• You need to know what you’re offsetting (accurate footprinting),
• You need to know how you’re offsetting (credible projects), and
• You need to show that it’s been done (auditable documentation).

If all you’ve done is tick a box, the claim falls apart.

Travel Emissions Are Complex

Air travel is a tricky beast when it comes to emissions. It’s not just about fuel burned. It’s about:

• Contrails,
• High-altitude NOₓ,
• Jet fuel refining and delivery,
• Flight path inefficiencies,
• Load factors, and more.

The False Sense of “Offset and Forget”

There’s also a behavioural problem here. These tools create a false sense of “I’ve done my bit,” when in reality, the footprint remains.

Paying a few quid to offset a flight that emits over 300 kg CO₂e per person (or more, when fully accounted for) doesn’t actually solve the issue, it postpones it.

For companies trying to build trust and make real progress, this kind of box-ticking undermines everything. Your staff might believe travel is no longer an issue. Your stakeholders may assume you’re fully neutral. Your customers might think their impact has disappeared.

But none of that’s true.

What to Look for Instead

If your business wants to make credible climate claims around travel, here’s what matters:

1. Proper Carbon Accounting
   Use real-world emissions factors that include all components, direct and indirect. Always include well-to-tank (WTT) and consider radiative forcing where applicable.
2. Verified Offsetting Projects
   Choose ICROA approved projects certified by Gold Standard, Verra (VCS), CDM or Plan Vivo. Avoid anything that doesn’t meet recognised additionality and permanence criteria.
3. Audit Trail
   Have documentation showing how you calculated your footprint, who verified the offsets, and where they were retired.
4. Transparent Messaging
   Don’t say “carbon neutral” because of a booking form. Say “we’ve measured, reduced, and offset our impact using certified tools and standards.”

That’s the kind of honesty the world needs.

If It’s Easy, It’s Probably Not Accurate

It’s tempting to go for quick wins. But climate impact accounting isn’t supposed to be easy. It’s supposed to be accurate, fair, and reflective of reality.

As more organisations set Net Zero targets and enter ESG disclosure territory, the difference between perception and proof will define who’s credible and who’s not.

So next time that little carbon box appears at the bottom of your booking page, think twice.

It might make you feel better, but it won’t make your emissions disappear.

Alan Stenson, CEO

NCZ