• Lufthansa Group’s new portfolio includes 14 certified climate protection projects across Europe and other markets.
• Passenger contributions covered more than 710,000 metric tonnes of CO₂ in 2025, up around 20% year on year.
• Removal projects now make up about 20% of the portfolio, with Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage included for the first time.

Lufthansa Group is reshaping its climate protection portfolio as airlines face rising pressure to address one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize. The company has introduced a new set of 14 certified climate protection projects, with a stronger focus on technology-based carbon removal.

The portfolio sits alongside Lufthansa Group’s own emissions reduction measures and its Sustainable Aviation Fuel options. Passengers using the group’s more sustainable travel offers can contribute to climate protection projects that support CO₂ savings beyond the airline’s direct operations.

In 2025, Lufthansa Group passengers contributed to projects covering more than 710,000 metric tonnes of CO₂. That represents an increase of around 20% compared with the previous year.

Removal Projects Gain A Larger Role

The new portfolio doubles the share of projects that permanently remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. Removal projects now account for around 20% of the total portfolio.

The projects are being implemented across Lufthansa Group’s home markets of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, and Italy, as well as in other countries. The company said the portfolio is designed to offer customers access to high-quality climate protection projects while supporting the wider shift toward lower-carbon aviation.

Nina Sproedt, Head of Sustainability at Lufthansa Group, says: “Climate protection projects, which complement our own emission reduction measures, are an important building block on the path to more sustainable aviation and the achievement of our climate goals. With our carefully curated portfolio, we are increasingly focusing on technology-based projects that enable long-term CO₂ sequestration. In this way, we are contributing to the further development and scaling of these technologies. We offer our passengers the opportunity to support high-quality climate protection projects and the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel, thereby actively participating in the transformation of aviation.”

Certified Projects And New Partners

For the portfolio, Lufthansa Group is working with myclimate, First Climate, Ceezer, Senken, Climeworks, and 1PointFive. The selected projects are certified according to what the company describes as the highest available standards.

These include the Gold Standard, which is recommended by the German Environment Agency. Gold Standard projects are designed to deliver climate benefits while also supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in the project regions.

That matters for governance and investor scrutiny. Airlines are under growing pressure to demonstrate that customer-funded climate contributions are credible, measurable, and aligned with recognized frameworks. Certification does not remove the sector’s emissions challenge, but it gives customers and stakeholders a clearer basis for assessing quality.

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Avoidance And Removal Split

Lufthansa Group’s portfolio is divided into two categories: “avoidance” and “removal” projects.

“Avoidance” projects prevent CO₂ emissions outside aviation. Examples include energy-efficient cookstoves and modular biogas plants. These projects can reduce emissions in communities and sectors where cleaner technologies are not yet widely available.

“Removal” projects actively remove CO₂ from the atmosphere and store it over the long term. Some are nature-based, such as reforestation and landscape restoration. Others use technology-based approaches, including biochar projects that bind carbon after CO₂ is captured through photosynthesis.

The most advanced category in the updated portfolio is Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage. These projects filter CO₂ from ambient air and store it underground for the long term.

DACCS Enters Lufthansa’s Portfolio

Lufthansa Group said DACCS projects are included in its climate protection project portfolio for the first time. The move reflects a broader aviation industry search for long-duration carbon removal solutions.

Aviation remains difficult to decarbonize because aircraft need high-density energy sources, especially on medium- and long-haul routes. Sector-specific emissions reduction measures remain the priority. Still, the group said it is exploring additional solutions through an open approach to technology.

Lufthansa Group is already working with Deep Sky, Airbus, and Climeworks to advance the development, promotion, and use of these technologies.

For executives and investors, the takeaway is clear. Aviation climate strategies are moving beyond basic offsetting models and toward a more layered approach. That includes operational reductions, Sustainable Aviation Fuel, certified avoidance projects, and a growing role for durable carbon removal.

The scale is still early. DACCS remains costly and limited in availability. Yet Lufthansa Group’s portfolio shift points to where the sector is heading. Airlines will need credible climate tools that can withstand policy, customer, and capital market scrutiny as global aviation growth continues.