Delta and its joint venture partners Air France, KLM and Virgin Atlantic will carbon-offset more than 1,800 metric tons of emissions from more than 15,000 Delta, Air France, KLM and Virgin Atlantic customer flight segments to and from Chicago surrounding the 2019 GBTA convention.

Most of the carbon-offsets will be by way of purchases that fund The International Small Group and Tree Planting program (TIST). TIST encourages subsistence farmers to improve their local environment and farms by planting and maintaining trees on degraded and/or unused land in India, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

As the trees grow, carbon captured is quantified and verified and certified greenhouse gas credits are sold in the global carbon market.

More than 88,000 farmers in four countries have successfully planted 18 million trees and captured nearly five million metric tons of carbon dioxide to date.

Additionally, Delta is now piloting a program to build in carbon offsets for corporate accounts and is looking to expand. Delta has such offsets in place today with accounts including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Columbia Sportswear, Merck and UCB Biopharmaceuticals.