Donate to help offset your carbon footprint
In 2019, the Board of Directors of the International Communication Association (ICA) accepted a proposal from the ICA Sustainability Committee to partner with Cool Effect to provide a method by which attendees can offset the greenhouse gases produced by traveling to the conference. The amount of offset is calculated by the number of hours spent in the air, and the money collected is donated to a number of environmentally sustainable projects around the world (more information can be found on the CoolEffects website’s PROJECTS tab).
This new initiative is part of ICA’s commitment to building a better and more sustainable future for academic gatherings—an initiative which also includes phasing out the larger printed program over time; the selection of sustainability-certified conference venues with preference given to LEED and other certifications; a commitment to recycling and recyclable conference materials; the elimination of tote bags stuffed with paper collateral; and working closely with venues to eliminate water bottles, keep food waste to a minimum, and donate unused food items when allowed. Cool Effect is an organization committed to reducing carbon footprints related to air travel, energy consumption and shipping, and more.
Simply select how many hours your flight will take, calculate your carbon footprint, then click the “offset now” button to donate. Your participation in carbon offsetting is entirely voluntary.
Click here to calculate your tonnes.
How is this calculated?
Cool Effect harnessed the EPA’s most recently established emission factor data (2018) and approximated flight lengths from credible online sources. In order to estimate the total metric tonnage of greenhouse gas emissions per flight, Cool Effect chose to combine emissions of carbon dioxide (1:1), methane (25:1) and nitrous oxide (298:1) and adjust for the distinct global warming potential of each gas.
Cool Effect then applied these values over three different flight-length categories: Short, Medium and Long Haul. The purposeful inclusion of methane and nitrous oxide distinguishes this Flight Emissions Calculator from other sources, which often include solely carbon dioxide in their calculations.
Rounded to the nearest 0.01 tonnes, the Cool Effect Flight Emissions Calculator is meant to provide the environmentally-conscious flyer with sound knowledge on which to base each decision to offset.
While the Cool Effect Flight Emissions Calculator is one viable resource, there are many other credible emission calculators out there to explore, such as ICAO’s Flight Calculator, Virgin Atlantic’s Carbon Neutral Calculator, or the TerraPass Carbon Footprint Calculator. Each source will likely result in slightly different emissions estimates due to the host of responsible assumptions that must be made when considering the impacts of air travel.
By selecting a length of flight and purchasing carbon credits equivalent to its estimated emissions, you are helping to compensate for the effect your flight has on the planet. More than 90% of your donation goes to support the 14 projects listed on the Cool Effect platform that reduce or prevent emissions.
At the end of the day, the idea is simple: Do what you can, anything that keeps the planet cooler helps! If your flight length falls between two options, Cool Effect humbly challenges you to round up! Clearly, the planet is heating up and Mother Earth appreciates every tonne that helps to keep her cool!
90%+ Directly to Projects
More than 90% of each dollar you donate goes directly to helping our projects, with a small fee of only 9.87% to help us cover credit charges, research, and possible registration fees.
Here’s a breakdown:
- 1.5% Research Fee
- 2–4% Credit Card Fee
- Registry Fee (where applicable)
- Remainder for Cool Effect Administration Fee
Who is Cool Effect?
Cool Effect works with the world’s best carbon-reducing projects, giving people an easy way to effectively fight climate change. Combining science and transparency, our approach allows individuals to verifiably reduce carbon emissions and help transform communities around the world.