Warning over 'carbon neutral' schemes for flyers

FREQUENT flyers who want to offset their emissions can pay into a number of schemes but environmentalists have issued them with a health warning.

Climate Care and the Carbon Neutral Company are two well-known firms that offer passengers the chance to "offset" the environmental costs of their flights.

People can log on to their websites to calculate the emissions their flight generates and offset these by investing in projects such as tree-planting and renewable technologies.

But buyers should note that the schemes are also run by companies, rather than charities.

Climate Care admitted in 2004 just 60 per cent of the cost per tonne of was spent directly on their projects.