Rather than offer passengers the chance to offset the carbon from their flight, Virgin Atlantic is investing in clean-fuel technology, a company spokesperson has revealed.
Paul Charles, a spokesperson for Virgin Atlantic, explained that the airline has decided not to offer customers carbon offsetting programmes because it fells its own research is more valuable.
Mr Charles said: "We are using the money to actually invest in clean fuel, which is much better at the moment than a carbon offsetting scheme which may provide … light bulbs or something.
>"At the moment, our focus is very much on using the money to develop the clean-fuel technology, because that's what's going to change the whole notion of environmentally friendly flight. It's down to technology."
Mr Charles also added that Virgin Atlantic was almost ready to use planes which work on more environmentally-sound fuels.
>"Everything we do, we take [into account] how we're reducing fuel-burning carbon emissions anyway.
"From next year, we're actually demonstrating bio-fuel in flight, so I think you'll start to see bio-fuel start to come into our fleet hopefully within a year or two."
Airlines like Ryanair and easyJet have constantly argued that aviation accounts for just two per cent of the UK's carbon emissions.