At KILROY, we believe travel can be a force for good—but we also acknowledge its climate impact. Tourism plays an important role in cultural exchange and local economies, yet the tourism industry in particular is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. That’s why, since 2019, we have partnered with myclimate, a leading non-profit organisation dedicated to climate protection financing. Founded in 2002, myclimate has built a portfolio of more than 210 climate protection projects across 48 countries, all focused on measurable climate protection and sustainable community development.
Our shared approach
Our approach reflects a broader take on responsibility than climate initiatives alone, with our vision on slow and local travel slowly but surely finding a place in the travel landscape. While we are happy to play a part in changing our industry by influencing travellers, we can’t get around the fact that air travel has a large contribution to the release of greenhouse gases, specifically CO₂.
And while carbon compensation is not the magical solution it’s often made out to be, we believe it is better to take meaningful action now than to wait for future technical innovations. That’s why we’ve been hard at work creating a realistic program together with myclimate—one that goes far beyond simply planting trees. The projects we support address climate challenges while also tackling pressing local needs, from health to livelihoods to biodiversity.
Why myclimate
Most airlines and plenty of travel brands offer the possibility for CO₂ offsetting of your emissions, but the quality of those efforts varies greatly. At KILROY, we wanted our efforts to be as realistic as possible to generate real impact.
That’s why we tasked a panel of independent advisors to consult and help us draft the criteria for a CO₂ compensation partner. Based on these criteria, myclimate was chosen. As one of the frontrunners in voluntary climate protection through localized initiatives, they met two decisive priorities:
- A realistic calculation that makes flight-related emissions genuinely measurable.
- Full transparency and project identification, so we can share openly with our customers how their contributions are being used.
The projects we support
All contributions are channelled directly into high-impact projects that benefit both the climate and local communities. Currently, KILROY supports two initiatives:
- Efficient cookstoves in Madagascar – reducing deforestation and improving community health by replacing open-fire cooking with clean, fuel-saving stoves.
- Reforestation in Nicaragua – restoring degraded land, capturing carbon, and creating sustainable income opportunities for local families.
By working with myclimate, we ensure that every contribution is traceable, verified, and results in real impact—for people, for communities, and for the planet.
How emissions are calculated
The myclimate/KILROY model calculates the full climate impact of a flight, whereas many other models focus only on direct CO₂ emissions.
The calculation takes into account a wide range of factors, including:
- Flight distance
- Fuel consumption during taxi, takeoff, holding and landing
- Type of aircraft
- Average passenger load-factor
- Travel class (Economy/Business/First)
- Emissions from the production and transport of jet fuel—not just its consumption
This ensures the results are comprehensive and realistic.
Will the calculation result always match the exact emissions from your specific flights? Not exactly—but it will be a very good approximation. The formula uses averages for passenger numbers, fuel consumption, and aircraft types, which means it can’t reflect every single variation in real time. However, it provides a robust and reliable estimate that closely mirrors the actual climate impact of a given journey.
Want to learn more?
Climate protection financing through myclimate is just one of the things we do. Click here to learn more about how we work with sustainability.