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1. Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)

Since 2024, Metro has offered the option of purchasing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in all branches and on flights operated by all airlines throughout Switzerland. This gives you the opportunity to reduce your CO2 footprint even more directly when traveling to and from your destination by plane.

What is Sustainable Aviation Fuel?

Sustainable Aviation Fuel is the generic term for synthetic fuels that are produced without the use of fos-sil fuels such as crude oil or natural gas. There are various production methods that use various starting materials, such as the sun-to-liquid method, the biomass-to-liquid method, the HEFA method, and the alcohol-to-jet method.

How is SAF produced?

In all these methods, the aim is to reuse carbon dioxide from existing, sustainable biomass or gases by converting it into fuel (kerosene). Currently, the HEFA method is most suitable for the commercial production of SAF. It involves hydrating fat from the food industry (waste cooking fat, e.g. cooking oil) and industrial waste and then refining it like fossil fuels.

To what extent does SAF reduce greenhouse gases?

The use of SAF reduces CO2 emissions by 80%. The remaining 20% is currently still caused by the production and supply processes.

Why is SAF kinder to the environment than standard fuel?

The burning of SAF and fossil kerosene produces identical quantities of CO2, but using SAF creates a CO2 cycle in which biogenic residual materials that have previously removed CO2 from the atmosphere are used for production.

How much does Sustainable Aviation Fuel cost?

The price for reducing CO2 by one tonne by purchasing SAF is just under CHF 700 (as of January 2024). So investing CHF 50.00 equates to a 71 kg reduction in CO2. Our travel agents will be happy to help you calculate your investment.

How and where can Sustainable Aviation Fuels be purchased?

You can purchase Sustainable Aviation Fuel at the Metro travel agency. If you would like this, simply ask the travel agents. They will be happy to help you.

2. Sustainable overnight accommodation

Given the many different certificates on offer for sustainable and responsible actions, it’s not that easy to gauge the seriousness of certain labels. The certificates often lack transparency and are easy to obtain. For this reason, Metro has decided to use only those certificates that are recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).

Through its activities, the GSTC creates clarity in this jungle of certificates by only recognising those that meet global standards and are serious about certifying companies (e.g. hotels). The GSTC acts like an accreditation authority in this respect. The certification criteria include the following aspects:

  • Energy efficiency
  • Water and waste management
  • CO2 emissions
  • Working conditions
  • Human rights
  • Relations with locals
  • Preservation of the surrounding ecosystem
  • Impact on culture
  • Health and safety
  • Fair business practices
  • Consumer protection
  • Animal welfare

3. Do your bit for climate protection projects

Metro has been working together with myclimate since 2006, enabling customers to calculate and offset the CO2 emissions of their flights or boat trips. By paying the calculated amount, you are investing in the supported climate protection projects, which offset the emissions caused by your flight or boat trip by reducing emissions elsewhere. These contributions have been paid into the Migros Group’s M-Climate Fund since 2022.

The M-Climate Fund uses the contributions to support projects implemented within the supply chain of the whole Migros Group. Two projects of particular importance to Metro are briefly presented below:

Climate-friendly rice cultivation in Thailand

Conventional rice cultivation causes significant environmental damage due to greenhouse gases in the form of methane emissions. A project in Thailand is now teaching rice-farming families alternative cultivation methods. The M-Climate Fund pays the additional costs, which are mainly attributable to the training.

More information about climate-friendly rice cultivation in Thailand

 

Back to overview Sustainability at Metro