Carbon footprint - offsetting projects
Morgan Stanley maintains a portfolio of emission credits on behalf of British Airways customers. Your money goes towards supporting projects in developing countries and typically focuses on providing new sources of renewable energy and in promoting energy-efficiency schemes.
In addition to balancing your CO2, the projects we have chosen will also bring social and economic benefits to the communities in which they are based as well as health benefits from improvements to local air quality.
What are the projects?
Click on the projects below to view more information.
Dalisi wind farm
Dalisi wind farm will have 27 wind turbines, supplying 82,458 MWh of electricity to local businesses and communities in the Ningxia region on an annual basis.
The Dalisi wind farm will save over 78,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, equivalent to taking 17,000 cars off the road.
China: Investing in renewable wind power
In China, demand for energy is great but supply is constrained by a lack of infrastructure and investment. The Ningxia province is the second poorest region in the country. The average person earns just $82 each year and bad weather often means that many households do not having enough to eat through the year.
Your project
Dalisi wind farm will have 27 wind turbines, supplying 82,458 MWh of electricity to local businesses and communities in the Ningxia region on an annual basis.
Social well being
Dalisi wind farm aims to work together with the local people in the region, helping to provide more jobs for local communities, and enable local authorities to reduce poverty in the Ningxia region. In addition, the wind farm has been built in accordance with the Chinese National Urban Environmental Noise Standard meaning that the wind farm has been built 5km away from the nearest homes.
Economic well being
Wind power has become increasingly popular in China and has become a trusted method of power generation. The Dalisi wind farm helps support businesses in the local area needing to access power supplies.
Environmental well being
Dalisi wind farm has been approved by the Ningxia Environmental Protection Bureau, which means that the project will contribute to the protection of the environment and the resources of the region.
Dalisi aims to offset 78,739 tonnes CO2 per year*.
*78,739 tonnes of CO2 per year is equivalent to:
- 17,043 passenger cars not being driven per year
- 65,616 acres of pine or fir forests storing carbon per year
- 10,108 households' electricity use per year
Source: US Climate Technology Cooperation.
Eco-system well being
Wind farms are criticised for their impact on wildlife. This is because birds and bats can accidentally fly into the turbines. The Dalisi wind farm is situated far away from any large bodies of water and traditional migratory flight routes used by the region's vast birdlife.
In addition, since the Dalisi wind farm avoids fossil fuels being burned, it will prevent the release of harmful emissions that cause acid rain.
† The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
More detailed information on the project
To read more detailed information about this project, you can go to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Clean Development Mechanism website:
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Clean Development Mechanism
Faxinal dos Guedes power plant
The Faxinal dos Guedes power plant that uses the Chapecozinho River to generate clean, renewable, sustainable electricity that can be used to replace coal-generated power.
The plant will save 5,672 tonnes of CO2 per year, the equivalent of taking over 1,200 cars off the road.
Brazil: Run-of-river hydro-electric power plant
Brazil's economy has grown rapidly in recent years, increasing the country's demand for energy significantly. The south of Brazil has many of the nation's largest coal reserves, which results in most people choosing this fuel for generating power. However, because coal releases substantial quantities of CO2, it is also a major cause of acid rain and harmful air pollution.
Your project
The Faxinal dos Guedes power plant is a unique project for the Santa Catarina region of Brazil. It is a small, hydroelectric power plant that uses the Chapecozinho River to generate clean, renewable, sustainable electricity that can be used to replace coal-generated power.
Environmental well being
The Faxinal dos Guedes power plant has been recognised as being in accordance with the PROFINA Law (Incentive Program for Alternative Sources of Electricity). This is a federal program setting out guidelines for alternative energy sources that contribute to the better protection and sustainability of the environment.
This run-of-river project aims to offset 5,672 tonnes of CO2 annually*.
*5,672 tonnes of CO2 per year is equivalent to:
- 1,228 passenger cars not being driven per year
- 4,727 acres of pine or fir forests storing carbon per year
- 728 households' electricity use per year
Eco-system well being
Big hydroelectric plants sometimes damage the habitats of local biodiversity. Through small, run-of-river projects such as the Faxinal dos Guedes power plant, communities can instead protect and cultivate the surrounding ecosystem by creating "nature-safe" zones around the project location.
Clean, renewable sources of power also mean significant improvements to local air quality and therefore the health of the local community.
Social well being
Faxinal dos Guedes will benefit local communities by creating additional jobs, which will help local communities better their standards of living and encourage investments in infrastructure, such as healthcare and education.
Local communities will also benefit from increased reliability and quality of power.
Economic well being
The power plant uses equipment developed and manufactured locally, which helps to contribute to the local economy.
By providing electricity, the power plant will also help support the fast-growing state of Santa Catarina.
More detailed information on the project
To read more detailed information about this project, you can go to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Clean Development Mechanism website:
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Clean Development Mechanism
Xiaohe power plant
Situated on Daxia River in Gansu Province of China, the Xiaohe hydro-electric power plant will help reduce regional shortages of electricity by supplying a reliable source of energy.
The project will save over 36,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, equivalent to taking nearly 8,000 cars off the road.
China: Harnessing the power of water
In China, there is a growing need for efficient energy supplies. Over the past 50 years, demand for electricity has risen in line with rapid economic growth.
At the same time as supply constraints have reached a critical point, much of China's existing energy supply comes from burning coal, which is one of the most CO2 intensive sources of energy.
Your project
Situated on Daxia River in Gansu Province of China, the Xiaohe hydro-electric power plant will help reduce regional shortages of electricity by supplying a reliable source of energy.
Environmental well being
The Xiaohe hydro-electric power plant has been approved by the Gansu Provincial and Gannan Prefectural Environmental Protection Agencies, which concluded that any adverse affect on the environment would be negligible.
Xiaohe is forecast to offset 36,582 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year*.
*36,582 tonnes of CO2 per year is equivalent to:
- 7,918 passenger cars not being driven per year
- 30,485 acres of pine or fir forests storing carbon per year
- 4,696 households' electricity use per year
Source: US Climate Technology Cooperation.
Social well being
Xiaohe will benefit local communities by providing more reliable, quality power.
Xiaohe also creates 30 new permanent jobs and 360 temporary jobs, bringing in
$48.20m in salaries and employee welfare to the region per year.
Economic well being
Xiaohe aims to bring in $9.96m of external investment and will generate $4.94m in tax revenue for the local region.
These additional resources will enable small businesses to grow and will give local communities the chance to invest in local infrastructure such as health and education.
Eco-system well being
Farmers in the local area normally burn wood for cooking and heating their homes. The Xiaohe power plant provides an environmentally friendly alternative to wood burning.
Energy generated from the natural power of flowing water also reduces the region's dependence fuels such as coal. This benefits local air quality, and therefore the health of the local community.
† Project Design Document for Xiaohe 9.6MW Hydro Electric Plant, China
More detailed information on the project
To read more detailed information about this project, you can go to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Clean Development Mechanism website:
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Clean Development Mechanism