Update Note 20 Jan 2009: We're currently putting together a full guide to carbon offsetting, including detailed tips & best buys. In the meantime, this provisional note outlines some basics.
It's my hope that using the Cheap Flights guide, people will fly more cheaply, but not necessarily more often. If you've saved serious cash (or even just a little), then it's worth considering carbon offsetting your flight.
- Paying to carbon offset.
With a carbon offsetting site, you enter your flight details and it'll calculate an appropriate payment towards a conservation project. These usually involve planting trees, which absorb more CO2 than they produce. Other projects include solar lighting in schools and financing renewable energy sources in under-developed countries. The hope is in the long run this balances out the damage flying causes.
In truth, it's unlikely to fully do that, but it is a step in the right direction. As I've mentioned, a full comparison of these sites for both cost and effectiveness is planned soon, but in the meantime here's a selection: Climatecare, Co2balance, Carbonneutral, Carbon-clear and Growaforest.
-
Do it yourself.
These companies aren't charities and obviously aim to make a profit. If you would rather know that 100% of your money is being used effectively you could plant trees yourself or give some time to a local project conserving woodland in your area.
- Carbon offset every day at no cost.
There’s a new click and give website StopGlobalWarming which, for every daily click a person makes on its website, donates enough money to offset a pound (i.e. 0.45kg) of carbon emissions. This follows the same logic as The Hungersite as when you click, it's its sponsors who pay for the carbon offsetting.
Of couse, clicking doesn’t come close to offsetting the cost of a flight but do both and you are contributing.
Always double check the product details before signing up to them
Spotted out of date info/broken links? Let us know via brokenlink@moneysavingexpert.com
LINKS THAT HELP THIS SITE (all have a * in above article)
(this has no impact on product or pick - see explanation below)
N/a
Explanation (of * links)
How this site is funded. Two types of contacts are listed. The first, which all have a * within the main body of the articles, help MoneySavingExpert.com stay ad-free and free to use, as they're ‘affiliated links' which invisibly take you usually via affiliate linkage or commercial money sites, which then pay this site. The second type doesn't help and therefore doesn't have a *.You shouldn't notice any difference, the links don't impact the product at all and the editorial line (the things we write) is NEVER impacted by the revenue. If it isn't possible to get an affiliate link for the best product, it is still included in exactly the same way. For more details read how this site is financed.
LINKS THAT DON'T HELP THIS SITE
(please only use if necessary)
No * Link Available: Carbon-clear, Carbonneutral, Climatecare, co2balance, Growaforest
Duplicate links of the * links above for the sake of tranparency, but this version doesn't help MoneySavingExpert.com:
N/a
1 of
5 
