SAS named official airline for international climate conferences

SAS is to be the Official Airline and Greening Partner at four international conferences up until the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2009. SAS has undertaken to offset CO2 emissions from air travel for all conference delegates who travel with SAS.

SAS has entered into a partnership agreement with the Copenhagen Climate Council and, as a result, has become an Official Airline and Greening Partner of a number of international conferences in Copenhagen up until the United Nations Climate Change Conference in December 2009.

Under the agreement, all conference delegates will be offered discounts on SAS tickets and at the same time SAS has undertaken to offset CO2 emissions from air travel for all delegates traveling to the conferences with SAS.

The Copenhagen Climate Council is responsible for a total of four climate conferences in Copenhagen in the run up to the UN conference, for example the Nordic Climate Solutions in November 2008 and the World Business Summit on Climate Change in May 2009, which researchers, business leaders, government officials and politicians from across the world will attend.

"Thousands of people traveling to conferences in Copenhagen will naturally have an impact on the environment. We are involved in limiting this burden by purchasing CO2 reductions in renewable energy projects to an extent corresponding to the air travel taken by the conference delegates," says Susanne Larsen, President of SAS Danmark.

The new partnership agreement is to be seen in the light of the SAS Group's new environment strategies, which is aimed at halving CO2 emissions per passenger kilometer by 2020. Some of the actions being taken to achieve this include the use of new technology, more direct flights, Green Approaches, fuel-saving programs, and in the longer term mixing in the next generation of alternative fuels and a gradual renewal of the fleet.

SAS is also participating in the Danish Ministry of Climate and Energy's CO2 campaign "1 ton less" and on sas.dk all passengers can purchase CO2 compensation for their air travel.

"SAS is taking an active role in the climate debate and is putting its words into practice by working to reduce the impact on the environment from air travel in both the short and long term. The agreement with the Copenhagen Climate Council gives us the opportunity to take concrete measures and at the same time raise our profile at an important international climate forum," says Susanne Larsen.

"We attach great importance to ensuring that our environmental work and partnerships are viewed in a broader perspective and will extend beyond these conferences and the UN Summit," she says.