Carbon Footprint Initiative
Description
The initiative offers air travelers on the air-tickets booking site – MakeMyTrip – the option to offset the carbon dioxide (CO2) emission that they would undertake during their upcoming flight, by donating toward the planting of trees. This tree donation option is integrated with the air ticket booking process itself; and the cost of the saplings donated is added to the total air fare. As a customers books their air ticket, the website recommends the number of trees that would be required to offset their CO2 emission; and then enables them to donate towards the plantation of these trees; or even partly offset their emissions by choosing another option. Their total donation is then passed on to GiveIndia, which passes it on to Seva Mandir, an NGO that works in the field of afforestation.
What we deliver
An air traveler, who chooses to offset his/her Carbon Dioxide (CO2) emission , is issued an 80G tax e-receipt as well as an e- ‘green’ certificate for their donation towards the cause, by GiveIndia. The donation made by air travelers is channeled to Seva Mandir, an NGO that works in the field of afforestation, and which undertakes tree plantations in Udaipur and Rajsamand Districts of Rajasthan, India. In addition, a feedback/progress report (Last progress report sent to customers in March ’10 is attached) on the tree plantation activities, is sent every 4-6 months to customers, who chose to be are part of this initiative.
Whom we deliver
As a person books their flight ticket, the MakeMyTrip website calculates their CO2 emission based on the distance of their travel; and suggests the number of trees it would take to offset this emission. The customers may then choose the suggested option, completely offsetting their emission. Alternatively, they may partially offset their emission by donating towards the other options provided (i.e. 2, 4, 6,8,10 or18 trees.)
Why is the project unique?
The initiative is the only one of its kind in the online travel agency space to integrate the option to offset one’s CO2 emission associated with air travel with the flight booking process itself. And it is this timing/convenience that makes the initiative so successful. Many other websites, which provide customers the option to offset their carbon footprint associated with air travel, have a separate carbon footprint calculator wherein the air traveler has to first calculate the carbon footprint of their air travel and then offset it by donating towards a carbon credits project. Further, the choice to completely or partially offset one’s carbon footprint is another unique feature of this initiative.
Roadmap
Technology should be leveraged to reduce costs and increase access across masses. Mobile penetration in India has been increasing at a rapid pace and given the current tele-density it yet has huge potential for increase. Initiatives like the Carbon Footprint one should aim to grasp these trends in technology being adopted by the masses such that they are able to reach out to them instead of expecting the masses to come to where they are.
Contact
Devika Khosla
MakeMyTrip
103 Udyog Vihar Phase I
Gurgaon, Haryana, India
URL/Website – www.makemytrip.com