EasyJet holidays will offset all future carbon emissions from its package holiday operations, and has retrospectively offset all holidays operated since its launch.
Emissions from fuel used for in-destination transfers, as well as energy from hotel stays, will be offset – with the operator vowing not to pass the cost to customers.
EasyJet itself, which provides airlift for its operator, has been offsetting the fuel used on all its flights since November 2019, when easyJet holidays was launched.
Garry Wilson, easyJet holidays chief executive, said the operator’s offsetting ambitions were the "first step" in its sustainability journey, with a full strategy, long-term commitments and actions to follow "soon".
He claims easyJet holidays has become the first "major" tour operator to offset emissions rom its holidays.
All offsets are undertaken through gold standard and VCS schemes, the two highest standards of verification, with the cash going towards forestry projects, renewable energy sources and community initiatives.
Like easyJet, easyJet holidays has acknowledged offsetting will only serve as an interim carbon mitigation measure, pending "radical" new technologies to cut emissions, and eventually achieve zero-emission flying.
Wilson said he was personally passionate about, and committed to, easyJet holidays sustainability efforts. "While it’s a difficult challenge to tackle within travel, it’s something that’s really important to us at easyJet and easyJet holidays and we’ve got to do all we can.
"We’ve spent a lot of time when we’ve not had customers travelling working on our sustainability plans. We believe there’s a real opportunity to play our part to reopen tourism sustainably."
EasyJet holidays has also made commitments on upholding labour standards, promoting health, safety and wellbeing, and championing equal pay rights throughout supply chains.
It is also encouraging hotel partners to work towards certification that meets the Global Sustainable Tourism Council standards.