Ryanair, Europe’s No. 1 airline, today (7 Mar) launched its international environmental partnerships for 2019, supporting First Climate (Uganda), Renature Monchique, the Irish Whale & Dolphin Group and Native Woodland Trust through customer carbon offset donations.

First Climate – Ryanair is partnering with First Climate’s campaign supporting and promoting the dissemination of energy-efficient cooking stoves in Uganda. First Climate supports private and public sector organisations in achieving their climate and sustainability objectives. Ryanair will support First Climate through customer carbon offset donations to this project.

Renature Monchique– A project to replant trees in the Monchique area of Algarve, which was affected by the largest wildfire in Europe in 2018, Ryanair is partnering with Renature Monchique as it works to restore key ecosystems and damaged land, supporting various initiatives through customer carbon offset donations.

Irish Whale & Dolphin Group – The IWDG group is dedicated to the conservation of whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Ryanair will work with the IWDG on key initiatives and conservation campaigns throughout the year, supporting this worthy partnership through customer carbon offset donations.

Native Woodland Trust – An Irish non-profit focused on the preservation and restoration of Ireland’s remaining woodland, Ryanair will support Native Woodland Trust through customer carbon offset donations, to develop woodlands across Ireland through various projects in 2019.

Ryanair’s Chief Marketing Officer, Kenny Jacobs said:

 “We are delighted to announce our first ever environmental partners, supporting four great projects across Europe and Africa. More than €1m will be donated from our customers and Ryanair to our partners – First Climate in Uganda; Renature Monchique in Portugal; Irish Whale & Dolphin Group and Ireland’s Native Woodland Trust.

 At Ryanair, we are committed to minimising our own environmental impact. We are already Europe’s greenest airline, operating the youngest fleet (average age of six years) with the highest load factors. With this latest initiative we continue to lead the way, and we encourage our customers to support these exciting partnerships by making carbon offset donations when booking flights on the Ryanair.com website.”

 

First Climate’s CEO, Jochen Gassner said:

“Without the voluntary commitment of the private sector, the aim of the Paris Agreement to keep global warming well below 2°C, is unattainable. We therefore highly welcome Ryanair’s and their passengers’ commitment to climate change mitigation and are very grateful for the support of our climate protection project in Uganda. By distributing energy efficient cook stoves, the project enables families to reduce their fuel, wood and charcoal consumption and helps fight the causes of deforestation. It is certified by the highly regarded Gold Standard, evidencing the exceptional benefits of this emissions reduction project and its contribution towards sustainable development on the ground.”

On behalf of Renature Monchique, GEOTA’s President, Marlene Marques said:

“This commitment from the private sector provides the opportunity for civil society to support the restoration of important and unique forest habitats to the fire-devastated areas of Monchique in the Algarve. Renature Monchique will help restore the ‘cultural landscapes’ of this area, an important national and international tourism destination.

We therefore welcome Ryanair’s and its passengers’ commitment to supporting this initiative as we return these vital habitats to this area, not only for the species that flourish in these habitats, but also to return the devastated woodlands, forests and river bank vegetation that make up this culturally important place. In so doing, Ryanair is also supporting the local council to meet their requirements under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, by preventing further land degradation and supporting the climate change mitigation efforts of carbon sequestration by planting trees.”

IWDG CEO, Dr Simon Berrow said:

“Whales and dolphins are top predators and their health reflects the health of our oceans. We are incredibly fortunate to have a diversity of whale and dolphin species in Irish waters, including large whales such as fin and humpbacks. The IWDG is committed to protecting these species and their habitats and in order to achieve this we need to gain a better understanding of how they use Irish waters. The WhaleTrack Ireland project supported by Ryanair will enable us mobilise a network of IWDG members, whale researchers and citizen scientists, throughout the island of Ireland, to monitor whale movements, identify threats and enable people in Ireland experience these magnificent creatures for themselves.

With Ryanair support, we will strive to ensure Irish waters remain a sanctuary for whales and in so doing we will help create healthier ecosystems for both marine species and coastal communities.”

Native Woodland Trust Chairman, Jim Lawlor said:

 “The Native Woodland Trust relies heavily on corporate sponsorship and public donations for the vast bulk of our income – over  95% in some years.  In return, we protect seven woodland reserves across Ireland, with more becoming available in the near future. These reserves provide amenities to local communities, as well as protecting rare and endangered wildlife. Our publicly accessible events bring people together and provide a social outlet to many otherwise isolated individuals – with fresh air and healthy activities included!

 We are extremely grateful to Ryanair for choosing us as an environment partner in 2019 and to their customers for enabling us to carry out this unique project, which will protect our threatened wildlife and offset carbon emissions into the bargain.”