Climate action: Choosing to close the gap between talk and action
RAS AL KHAIMAH
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Andreas Slettvoll
Welcome to this interview with Andreas Slettvoll, CEO of Chooose, a platform that provides tools for integrating climate action into any customer experience, based in Oslo, Norway.
Through automated emissions calculations, dynamic sustainability scores, a vetted marketplace of carbon removals and offsets, and climate program reporting Chooose delivers easy and accessible solutions for everyone.
TradeArabia's Sree Bhat met Slettvoll at the recent Arabian Aviation Summit in Ras Al Khaimah.
In this interview, we will discuss the importance of addressing carbon emissions and the progress that has been made in the aviation industry towards decarbonisation and the company's plans for the Middle East.
Why we should choose to address carbon emissions?
When it comes to carbon emissions, it is invisible. So, how do we move from effectively acknowledging to something we can act on? Our mission is to close the gap between speeches on climate action and actual action. We need to address the carbon footprint of our activities, including flying, which is one of the most important connectivity drivers we have. Our focus is on making flying a bit less harmful by partnering with airlines to calculate carbon footprints and offering high-quality choices to act on them.
Are you only focused on flying, or are there other areas of decarbonisation that you're involved in?
We build software that airlines and booking platforms and other stakeholders within travel and mobility sectors can integrate with to calculate carbon footprints and offer customers the opportunity to act on them. We work with stakeholders to distribute sustainable aviation fuel and other climate solutions to reduce emissions.
What are the choices you offer for acting on carbon footprints?
We offer the choice to act on carbon footprints by investing in high-quality local projects that either remove or avoid carbon, or by using sustainable aviation fuel that reduce emissions by 85%.
Have you seen any progress in the aviation industry towards decarbonisation?
Yes, the aviation industry is actually pushing the agenda on decarbonisation and taking it very seriously compared to other high-emission industries. The industry has taken it very seriously.
Is the cost of decarbonisation prohibitive?
The focus is not on price point. In the aviation sector, they want a high quality product, that is much more important. The cost differs from region to region with carbon taxes playing their part, but the industry is still pushing towards high-quality decarbonisation solutions.
What about communities that don't have access to electricity? How does decarbonisation benefit them?
There are huge differences from region to region, and we acknowledge that some communities have other priorities. However, the industry as a whole can still make progress towards decarbonisation.
Is there anything else you would like to say about your company?
We are focusing on the Middle East region. We will do quite a lot in the region going forward and it is one of the important projects we have. We aim to partner with both nation-states and airlines to offer sustainable aviation solutions. We are actively considering setting up a base in the region.
