As part of a proactive long-term pledge to sustainability, SHY Aviation has established an Offset Plus Promise, which goes further than carbon neutral by offsetting over 100 per cent of carbon emissions created by every flight it operates, as well as offsetting all carbon emission for the company as a whole.

With demand for flights projected to double over the next 20 years, SHY is participating in Gold Standard and United Nations climate change projects to accelerate progress and alignment towards its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Established in 2003 by WWF and other international NGOs, the Gold Standard certifies projects that reduce carbon emissions and foster sustainable development.

SHY Aviation, together with luxury travel and lifestyle management sister company SHY Lifestyle, has recently completed PAS 2060 certification, offsetting 1,000 per cent of 2019 company carbon emissions. The process included a consultation on how to measure and reduce carbon emissions within the business, as well as a comprehensive carbon reduction strategy.

In light of the raging Australian bushfires, this January SHY supported the Yarra Yarra Biodiversity project in southwest Australia. The project provides a range of measurable environmental, societal and economic benefits to the local community, as well as providing habitats for animals and removing carbon from the atmosphere. The company will be championing a different project every month, ranging from wind energy in the Philippines to a clean drinking project in Cambodia, forest conservation in Indonesia and solar energy in Mauritius.

Co-founder and chairman Giles Vickers-Jones says: “Flying is one of the most carbon-intensive activities a person will carry out, and as a private aviation firm we have to directly confront the environmental impact of our flights. That's why we have made the decision to launch this initiative to offset our carbon footprint.”

CEO and fellow co-founder Scott Sullivan adds: “We decided to go further than just simply offsetting our flight emissions. Our progressive approach is also seen in our offices where we are moving towards being paperless, offer sustainability training as part of our employee onboarding process and insist on staff using eco-friendly transport. It's great our whole company is on board.”