Virgin Australia today announced an expansion to its carbon offset program, launching a new partnership with the Tasmanian Land Conservancy.

Established in 2001, the Tasmanian Land Conservancy is a science–based, not-for-profit environmental organisation which actively manages over 30,000 hectares of land annually for nature conservation, providing a safe haven for a host of rare and threatened species.

From today, all Virgin Australia customers will have the option to neutralise the emissions of their flights by directly supporting the reserves and ultimately the future protection of Tasmania’s unique plants and animals.

Virgin Australia Group Executive of People, Culture and Sustainability, Geraldine Chin Moody said: “As a proud Australian airline, we are passionate about protecting our unique and diverse environments and we are committed to minimising the impact of our operations on the community.

“We were the first airline in the world to launch a government certified carbon offset program in 2007 and we are very pleased to be expanding it today, offering our customers another simple way to support the environment each time they fly.”

“Passengers choosing to offset their flights will directly support the Tasmanian Land Conservancy’s important work in protecting irreplaceable sites, endangered species' habitats, and rare ecosystems across Tasmania. We look forward to enhancing the partnership going forward and giving our customers unique opportunities to support and protect the Australian habitat.”

Tasmanian Land Conservancy CEO, Jane Hutchinson, said: “The Tasmanian Land Conservancy is thrilled to be partnering with innovative and leading organisations such as Virgin Australia to conserve Australia’s natural environment. We are also very excited to share with Virgin Australia customers the direct contribution their offsets make to protect Tasmania’s threatened species and ecosystems.”

The carbon offsets generated by the Tasmanian Land Conservancy’s projects are verified under the Verified Carbon Standard and meet the requirements of the Federal Government’s National Carbon Offset Standard.

Virgin Australia’s Carbon Offset Program, Fly Carbon Neutral is a voluntary option for all domestic and international customers, which involves paying a small fee in the online booking process. This partnership complements the airline’s existing renewable energy projects in Thailand and Cambodia.

To find out more about Virgin Australia’s Carbon Offset Program Fly Carbon Neutral, visit the website.