Qantas’ offset scheme aims to keep fertilisers and pesticides away from the reef

Qantas passengers will be able to help in the rescue of the Great Barrier Reef by offsetting their flights against a new credits scheme.

As much as 90 per cent of pollutants flowing into the reef originate from agriculture.

Qantas will offer passengers the opportunity to help save the Great Barrier Reef by choosing to tick an offset payment for their flights.

Under a new “reef credits” scheme supported by Qantas, farmers in far north Queensland will be encouraged to prevent fertilisers from entering the sea and degrading the water quality.

As much as 90 per cent of pollutants flowing into the reef originate from agriculture, and this has devastating consequences for the delicate marine ecosystems.

Farmers already work hard to prevent run-off but the scheme will reward them for every kilogram of dissolved inorganic nitrogen not entering the ocean.

Qantas Group chief sustainability officer Andrew Parker said an initial investment of $500,000 would support nine landholders in a project area of 2500ha across six Great Barrier Reef catchments.

“From mid next year, when customers tick the box to offset their flights it will help fund our investment in reef credits alongside our other high-integrity carbon offsetting projects in Australia and around the world,” Mr Parker said.

“The Great Barrier Reef is one of Australia’s most iconic natural assets, and a major driver of tourism to the region and the country. Its protection is critical.”

Sugar cane farmer Jamie Dore runs one of the carbon offsetting projects on his Tully property south of Cairns.

He said reef credits supported farmers in areas of high rainfall to keep the fertilisers they used from leaving their farms – which had economic as well as environmental benefits.

“We are in a super wet belt and we get around 4m of rainfall a year. Some people would be envious of that but it does make it hard to manage,” Mr Dore said.

“We need to make sure that all of the fertiliser inputs we put on our farm stay on our farm.”

Tully cane farmer Jamie Dore is running a carbon offsets program in partnership with Qantas.

He said the good thing about reef credits was farmers could actually “put their hands on their hearts and say we’re making a difference”.

“It’s all audited and the records are there for everyone to see,” Mr Dore said.

Qantas’ carbon offsets scheme was considered to be the most successful of any airline. More than 10 per cent of customers who book through the website opt to negate the environmental impact of their flight.

Globally, the average offsetting rate for airline passengers was about 1 per cent.

The cost was relatively inexpensive as customers pay just under $1 to offset a Sydney-Melbourne flight.

Mr Parker said; “Offsetting remains a key tool in Qantas’ decarbonisation efforts, particularly while alternative aircraft fuel technology is still many years away.

“Reef and marine ecosystems play a critical role in carbon sequestration and combating climate change, and Qantas will continue to look for projects which support the protection of these vital natural assets.”

In addition to reef credits, Qantas was also carbon offsetting through traditional fire management projects in Northern Australia and through the protection of native forests in South America, the Oceania region and Africa.

The international airline industry was targeting 2050 to be carbon neutral. Currently airlines account for about 2 per cent of global emissions.